According to reports, the 33rd week of the Portuguese League witnessed a historic moment in world football. Santa Clara announced that Gabriel Silva, their forward, reached an astonishing speed of 40.3 km/h during their victory over Famalicão, making him the fastest player in the world.

This historic feat occurred in the 90+5th minute when the visiting team was pushing hard for an equalizer. During a set-piece near Santa Clara’s penalty area, Silva sprinted toward Famalicão’s empty goal at an incredible speed without the ball.

Before Silva, the record belonged to Son Batmun, Newcastle’s defender, who had run at 39.21 km/h without the ball. While different methods exist for measuring speed (with or without the ball), Silva’s speed is now the highest recorded in the current football season worldwide. These speeds are measured using GPS devices attached to players.

To understand the significance of this record, consider that Usain Bolt, the legendary sprinter, reached a maximum speed of 44.72 km/h in his most famous 100-meter race. Silva was not far behind the Jamaican athletics icon.