Football

UEFA Champions League's youngest ever goal scorers: Jude Bellingham on list but is Yamine Lamal next?

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8m ago

Mar 13, 2024 / 7905 Views

Evan Walker

Despite being European soccer's top club comPetition, there is never any shortage of young talent in the UEFA Champions League. This season is no different with the likes of Barcelona's Yamine Lamal, Antwerp's George Ilenikhena and Paris Saint-Germain's Warren Zaire-Emery all playing starring roles for their respective clubs. Unlike the latter pair, the former is yet to tally in the UCL and the France international just turned 18 a few days ago. We take a look back at some of the star names to have registered their precocious talents by scoring on the continental stage before the cut-off age of 18. Peter Ofori-Quaye (1997) and Martin Klein (2002) are two older names which you might find missing in this list but all of the names should be recognizable or at least blasts from various pasts.

Jamal Musiala (17 years and 363 days)

Lazio 1-4 Bayern in 2021: Just about making it onto the list with two days to spare is Bayern Munich Jamal Musiala when he scored in a 4-1 win away at SS Lazio aged just 17 years and 363 days. The Germany international has only just turned 21 now which makes it three years already since the former England and Chelsea youth star wrote his name into the Champions League history books.

Aaron Ramsey (17 years and 300 days)

Fenerbahce 2-5 Arsenal in 2008: Over 15 years ago now, Arsenal witnessed Aaron Ramsey grabbing himself a piece of UCL history when he scored in a 5-2 thrashing of Fenerbahce. However, the Wales international was not even the youngest-ever club scorer for the Gunners as Cesc Fabregas had beaten him to that title by 83 days.

Jude Bellingham (17 years and 289 days)

Dortmund 1-2 City in 2021: One of the earliest of what is expected to be many soccer achievements by Jude Bellingham over the course of his career occurred back in 2021 when he scored against Manchester City at 17 years and 289 days old for Borussia Dortmund. The England international is now shining for Real Madrid on the Champions League stage but could not stop the German outfit going down 2-1 to Pep Guardiola's men.

Warren Zaire-Emery (17 years and 280 days)

Dortmund 1-1 PSG in 2023: Kylian Mbappe is the superstar name in French soccer but PSG supporters are just as excited -- if not more so -- by young midfield prodigy Warren Zaire-Emery. Already a France international, the midfielder has just turned 18 a few days ago but notched his first UCL goal back in the group stage to secure a 1-1 draw away at Dortmund which ensured that the French giants advanced to the round of 16. Unfortunately for Zaire-Emery, although he beat Mbappe's record as PSG's youngest scorer in the Champions League, his French record lasted little over 30 minutes as Antwerp's George Ilenikhena stole in with a late goal to beat Barcelona and rewrite history.

Breel Embolo (17 years and 263 days)

Basel 4-0 Ludogorets in 2014: Back in 2014-15, Breel Embolo was setting Europe alight with Basel and picked Ludogorets of Bulgaria as his first continental victims. Now 27 and with AS Monaco after spells with Schalke 04 and Borussia Monchengladbach, the Cameroon-born Switzerland international was just 17 years and 263 days back then.

Bojan Krkic (17 years and 217 days)

Schalke 0-1 Barcelona in 2008: Few have come close to emulating let alone eclipsing much of what Lionel Messi achieved when bursting through the Barcelona ranks but there was a hot moment when it looked as if that special talent might be Bojan Krkic. The sole scorer in a 1-0 win over Schalke 04 in 2008 aged just 17 years and 217 days, it seemed as if the one-time Spain international was going to conquer the world. Sadly, that never materialized and Bojan retired aged 32 after spells with AS Roma, Stoke City, CF Montreal and Vissel Kobe. This record of his actually ended up being one of his major career achievements when it was supposed to be just the start.

Cesc Fabregas (17 years and 217 days)

Arsenal 5-1 Rosenborg in 2004: Another precocious La Masia talent was Fabregas who joined Arsenal for his major breakthrough and made himself a part of the regular starting XI aged just 17. His first Champions League goal came at 17 years and 217 days -- the same as Bojan -- and the Spain international would go on to captain the Gunners and return to Camp Nou years later although he never won the UCL with any of his clubs.

Mateo Kovacic (17 years and 215 days)

Dinamo Zagreb 1-7 Lyon in 2011: Not yet 30 and now with European champions Manchester City, Mateo Kovacic burst onto the scene with Dinamo Zagreb and scored in a 7-1 thrashing by Olympique Lyonnais back in 2011. It was academic back then but the Austria-born Croatia international is now a four-time Champons League winner having won three with Real Madrid and one with Chelsea.

Antonio Nusa (17 years and 149 days)

Porto 0-4 Club Brugge in 2022: Although a Premier League move evaded Antonio Nusa this past winter transfer window, the Norway international is still one of the youngest Champions League goal scorers in history thanks to his effort in a 4-0 thrashing of Porto two years ago. It was not a record strike but still to be so high on the list at just 17 years and 149 days remains majorly impressive.

George Ilenikhena (17 years and 119 days)

Antwerp 3-2 Barcelona in 2023: Barcelona have featured heavily on this list but they have also been scored against by some of the brightest young talents in the Game and that happened again earlier this edition when Antwerp's George Ilenikhena scored a late 3-2 winner aged just 17 years and 119 days. Not only did it land him second spot, it set a French record just 30 minutes after Zaire-Emery thought he had done so for PSG away at Dortmund.

Ansu Fati (17 years and 40 days)

Inter 1-2 Barcelona in 2019: Now with Brighton and Hove Albion after a series of injury issues, it was only five years ago that the Spain international was making waves as the youngest Champions League goal scorer of all-time at the age of 17 years and 40 days in a 2-1 win over Inter. It might go on to be Fati's main legacy with the Catalan giants but that does not take away from the almost unprecedented albeit short-lived hype that the Spain international generated for the post-Messi era.

UCL knockout goals

Worth mentioning again are three goals which not only came in the Champions League but came during the knockout phase which makes them all the more remarkable.

Krkic (17 years and 217 days) Schalke 0-1 Barcelona in 2008.
Bellingham (17 years and 289 days) Dortmund 1-2 City in 2021.
Musiala (17 years and 363 days) Lazio 1-4 Bayern in 2021.

Lamine Yamal at 16 and 243 days?

Arguably the best candidate to beat Fati's incredible record is Barcelona's latest wonderkid Lamine Yamal who is just 16 years and 243 days coming into the Blaugrana's round of 16 second leg against Napoli. The talented winger only turns 17 in July but already has a number of records to his name including the youngest La Liga goal scorer at 16 years and 45 days when he scored against Granada. Lamal has debuted for Spain already and overtaken Gavi's record there so a goal in this edition would see a new record set again just five years after the last one which took over 20 years to arrive.