Berlin, JUN 16: Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal became the youngest player ever to feature in the European Championship on Saturday during Spain’s Group B victory against Croatia in Berlin.
At 16 years and 338 days old, Yamal broke the record previously held by Poland midfielder Kacper Kozłowski, who was 17 years and 246 days old when he came off the bench against Spain at Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
That was the second time in the tournament the record had been broken, with England’s Jude Bellingham having previously surpassed the mark set by Netherlands left-back Jetro Willems at Euro 2012.
Yamal assisted Spain’s third goal in the 3-0 victory over Croatia, delivering an excellent cross for Dani Carvajal as the three-time champions began their tournament in the best possible manner.
While Yamal became the youngest player in Euros history, Carvajal’s goal made him Spain’s oldest goal scorer in the tournament at 32 years old.
Captain Álvaro Morata and Fabián Ruiz also scored as Spain dominated in the first half but were frustrated during a largely uneventful second period.
This achievement is the latest in a series of age-related records broken by Yamal, with more potentially to come at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Should he score at any point during the finals, he would surpass Johan Vonlanthen as the youngest-ever scorer in the competition’s history.
Switzerland’s Vonlanthen was 18 years and 141 days old when he scored at Euro 2004, just four days after England’s Wayne Rooney briefly became the youngest scorer ever in the European Championship.
Meanwhile, Bellingham is the youngest player ever to have played in a knockout game at 18 years and four days, slightly younger than Spain’s Pedri and Germany’s Jamal Musiala were at the same tournament, Euro 2020.
Portugal’s Renato Sanches is the youngest player to have played in the final at 18 years and 328 days old — Yamal will turn 17 the day before the final in Berlin.
Barça winger Yamal is already the youngest player to start and score in La Liga, while he also became the youngest player to appear in a Champions League knockout game earlier this year against Napoli.
