Footballers who broke records as youngsters

July 26, 2024 Sports 40 Views

Despite the ever-increasing physical and tactical demands of the modern game, footballers appear to be getting younger.

Just a few years ago, it was rare for a 17-year-old to be featuring in top-level leagues or international competitions. But now, players are breaking through at school age.

After appearing at the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, he then became the youngest to feature in three major tournaments for the Three Lions, at 20 years and 353 days old. Also a Champions League and La Liga winner with Real Madrid at the age of just 20, Bellingham is probably the youngest footballer in history to have his shirt retired too, after first club Birmingham City removed his no. 22 from use as a tribute in 2020. The midfielder made his debut for the Blues at the age of 16 and 38 days and was sold to Borussia Dortmund less than a month after his 17th birthday.

Mbappé is the youngest player to score in a Champions League semi-final, having netted for Monaco against Juventus in 2017 at 18 years and 140 days. He is also the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or, at 18 years and 293 days. In the 2018 World Cup final, he became only the second teenager to score in the fixture, after Pelé in 1958. And in 2022, he became only the second player in the history of men’s football to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final, after England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966.

And the former England forward made an instant impact at Old Trafford, scoring a superb hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce in the Champions League. At the age of 18 years and 339 days, he is still one of the youngest players to score a hat-trick in the competition and remains the youngest to net a treble on his CL debut. Rooney is also the youngest player to start a match (at 17 years and 160 days) and to score for England (17 years and 317 days).

That mark has since been beaten by a number of players, with Barça’s Bojan Krkic, Gavi, Ansu Fati and Lamine Yamal among them, but Messi remains Argentina’s youngest scorer at a World Cup. Leo was 18 years and 358 days old when he came off the bench to net against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. He is also the youngest player to win multiple Ballons d’Or, having picked up his second at the age of just 23 in 2010.

The following year, the legendary forward became the World Cup’s youngest-ever scorer (at 17 years and 239 days) as he netted the winner against Wales in the quarter-finals. Days later, he became the youngest to hit a hat-trick at a World Cup as he netted three against France. His goal against Sweden in Brazil’s last match made him the youngest to score in a World Cup final and on top of that, he was also the tournament’s youngest winner (at 17 years and 249 days). All of those records still stand.

Lamine Yamal became the fifth youngest player in La Liga history at 15 years and 285 days and Barcelona’s youngest in over a century when he made his debut for the Catalan club in April 2023. In October that year, his goal against Granada made him the youngest scorer in La Liga history at 16 years and 87 days old. He is also the youngest ever to net in the Copa del Rey, at the age of 16 years and 195 days, and in Spain’s Supercopa.

The winger was called up by Spain in September 2023. He made his international debut and also scored in a win over Georgia, becoming La Roja’s youngest player and scorer at the age of 16 years and 57 days. At Euro 2024, he became the tournament’s youngest-ever player (aged 16 years and 338 days), the youngest scorer (at 16 years and 361 days) and also the Euros’ youngest winner (at 17 years and one day).