Lamine Yamal sets new record as youngest player to feature at a UEFA European Championship

Spain winger Lamine Yamal smashed the record for youngest player to have featured at a UEFA EURO finals after taking to the field aged only 16 years 338 days against Croatia at EURO 2024.

The Barcelona prodigy beat the benchmark set by Poland's Kacper Kozłowski, who made his competition debut at EURO 2020 at the age of just 17 years 246 days.

Youngest player to appear

Lamine Yamal (16 years 338 days)
The Spain ace was long tipped to take the record and duly earned his place in the history books when he started against Croatia at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Not only did he quickly impress, he set up Dani Carvajal's goal in a 3-0 victory, naturally also making him the youngest player to serve up an assist in a EURO finals game.

EURO's youngest players
16 years 338 days: Lamine Yamal (Spain 3-0 Croatia, 15/06/2024)
17 yrs 246 days: Kacper Kozłowski (Spain 1-1 Poland, 19/06/2021)
17 yrs 349 days: Jude Bellingham (England 1-0 Croatia, 13/06/2021)
18 yrs 71 days: Jetro Willems (Netherlands 0-1 Denmark, 09/06/2012)
18 yrs 115 days: Enzo Scifo (Belgium 2-0 Yugoslavia, 13/06/1984)

Youngest goalkeeper to appear

José Ángel Iribar (21 years 108 days)
Younger goalkeepers have been included in EURO squads – Iker Casillas at UEFA EURO 2000 and Igor Akinfeev at UEFA EURO 2004 – but Iribar made the mark as the youngest keeper during Spain's 2-1 win against Hungary on 17 June 1964. Four days later he was also EURO's youngest winning goalkeeper as his team beat the USSR 2-1.

Youngest player to score

Lamine Yamal (16 years 362 days)
Just over three weeks after becoming the youngest player to appear in a EURO, the teenage winger took the scoring record as well with a sensational equaliser in Spain's semi-final against France. Yamal eclipsed the longstanding mark of Johan Vonlanthen, who was aged 18 years 141 days when he struck at EURO 2004, also against France, four days after Wayne Rooney had become the youngest scorer in EURO history with two goals against Vonlanthen's Switzerland side.

Young player to appear in knockout stage

Lamine Yamal (16 years 353 days)
Jude Bellingham laid down the previous benchmark after helping England defeat Ukraine in the quarter-finals at EURO 2020, but Yamal has now snared this record too. The Spain youngster not only started the 4-1 round of 16 defeat of Georgia at EURO 2024 but provided an assist for Fabián Ruiz to put La Roja in front after they had fallen behind.

Youngest player to appear in a final

Lamine Yamal (17 years 1 day)
The winger made it a hat-trick of youth records as Spain defeated England to triumph at EURO 2024, taking the mantle from midfielder Renato Sanches, who was 18 years 328 days old when he appeared in Portugal's shock final triumph against hosts France at EURO 2016.

Youngest player to score in a final

Pietro Anastasi (20 years 64 days)
Anastasi's right-footed volley from outside the box doubled Italy's advantage against Yugoslavia in the 1968 final replay in Rome – and made the striker the youngest EURO final marksman ever. He was renowned for being the world's most expensive player when he joined Juventus from Varese in 1968.