FIFA World Cup 2018: Who Holds the Record For Fastest Send Off?

In a piece of football history he would like to forget, Jose Batista of Uruguay was sent off 56 seconds into a World Cup match against Scotland in the Estadio Neza stadium in Mexico City. Batista, who up until that point had been a hero, wrote himself into the Guinness Book Of Records, and holds a record which stands to this day.

Scotland were led by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, who took over under tragic circumstances, after the death of his mentor, Jock Stein. Uruguay had been severely criticised for their aggressively physical approach in their opening match against Germany, a goalless draw. Denmark had other plans for them in their next match and routed Uruguay 6-1.

Desperate to win against the Scots to move up into the next round, Uruguay launched into its aggressive display from the word go. 56 seconds into the game,Jose Batista lunged at midfielder Gordon Strachan to earn notoriety for the fastest dismissal in the history of World Cup. Scotland could not capitalise on the advantage, however, and the game ended 0-0, resulting in their elimination.

Incidentally, for their behaviour against Scotland and West Germany earlier, Uruguay were slapped a fine of £9,000 by FIFA after the match. They were also warned that repeat behaviour could lead to their expulsion from the tournament.