Toni Kroos came back, and Florian Wirtz scored the quickest goal ever for Germany as they beat France 2-0 in their friendly match on Saturday.
Kroos, who decided to play for the national team again, quickly passed the ball to Wirtz, who took a shot from outside the penalty area and scored after just seven seconds.
The German soccer federation said it was the fastest goal ever scored in a national team game. The previous record was nine seconds by Lukas Podolski in 2013.
Kai Havertz scored the second goal for Germany after halftime, and Antonio Rüdiger made a crucial goal-line clearance. Germany’s win brought back smiles to the team after recent struggles, while France faced criticism from their fans.
This win was a confidence boost for Germany before they host Euro 2024 this summer. Kroos, playing his first game for Germany in almost three years, said it was an important step for the team.
Germany made several changes to the team lineup, and the new players, like Maximilian Mittelstädt and Robert Andrich. Deniz Undav and Waldemar Anton also made their debuts as substitutes.
France had some chances, but they couldn’t break through Germany’s defense as they did earlier in the game.
Before the match, both teams showed solidarity against racism, and there was a moment of silence for former West Germany stars Franz Beckenbauer and Andreas Brehme, who recently passed away.
