The youngest international footballers ever

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal grew to become Spain’s youngest ever participant at simply 16 years and 57 days previous when he got here on towards Georgia on Friday 8 September.

It could not come as a shock given he has already been pulling up bushes at Barcelona, however contemplating Yamal continues to be unable to legally drive himself to and from matches, it is staggering that he already has an international cap to his title.

However, the winger is certainly not probably the most youthful international of all-time, and in comparison with a number of the different youngest international debutants in soccer historical past, Yamal finally ends up trying like a pensioner.

Here are the youngest international footballers of all-time.

According to statisticians RSSSF, the youngest participant to have ever featured for his or her nationwide aspect is Lukas Knecht. At simply 14 years and two days previous, Knecht featured for Northern Mariana Islands – a territory made up of 14 islands within the Pacific Ocean – on 1 April 2007 in a 9-0 defeat to Guam.

The US-born international made 5 appearances for Northern Mariana Islands over the course of a reasonably short-lived profession, however nonetheless holds the document for youngest international to at the present time.

Northern Mariana Islands are clearly keen to advertise youth given they’ve two different gamers who function within the high ten youngest internationals – the wonderfully-named Joel Fruit and defender Kennedy Izuka. Both gamers featured in the identical sport in November 2012, albeit an 8-0 defeat to Guam on this event.

Turks & Caicos even have a ardour for growing younger expertise with Christopher Louisy and Watson Jean-Louis making their nationwide debuts at 14-years-old and taking part in their components in a 5-2 win over Sint Maarten.

Out of the extra respected footballing nations, Stephen Appiah is maybe probably the most stunning, that includes at simply 14 years and 322 days previous for Ghana in a 2-0 win over Sierra Leone again in November 1995.

Appiah would go on to make 69 appearances for the African nation, whereas additionally that includes for Juventus, Udinese and Fenerbahce throughout his taking part in days.

Ten youngest internationals

While it is all properly and good taking part in for Turks & Caicos at 14-years-old, what in regards to the gamers who’ve featured on the largest event in soccer at a younger age?

Well, the youngest ever participant to function at a World Cup is none apart from Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside at 17 years and 40 days. The Manchester United legend featured on the 1982 World Cup in Spain taking part in towards the likes of Yugoslavia and Austria, all whereas serving to Northern Ireland to the second spherical earlier than a defeat to France despatched them house.

The man whose document Whiteside stole was after all Pele. While solely at the moment being the fifth-youngest international of all-time, the Brazilian icon had held the document since 1958 when he debuted for his nation at simply 17 years and 234 days previous.

Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o – as soon as of Barcelona, Inter and Chelsea – is the second youngest to function at a World Cup, making his debut on the 1998 event in France. Despite managing two attracts, Cameroon have been dumped out on the group stage with Eto’o failing to make an influence.

The 2022 World Cup noticed three new faces enter the highest ten, nonetheless, with Spain midfielder Gavi, Germany attacker Youssoufa Moukoko and Australian Newcastle United prodigy Garang Kuol all becoming a member of the record.

Ten youngest World Cup internationals

There are some pretty apparent names on the record of England’s youngest ever post-war internationals with the youngest being Theo Walcott. The Arsenal phenom rapidly established himself within the England setup, making a substitute look towards Hungary at 17 years and 75 days previous in 2006.

Wayne Rooney is subsequent on the record, adopted carefully by present England dynamo Jude Bellingham. The latter made his debut again in 2020 in a 3-0 win over Ireland at simply 17 years and 136 days.

Some of the extra stunning names on the record embrace all people’s favorite pundit Micah Richards who burst on to the scene at 18 years and 144 days, whereas now Nottingham Forest ahead Callum Hudson-Odoi beat Richards by simply 9 days in one in all solely three England appearances.

Ten youngest post-war England internationals

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