Yamal, Fàbregas & Co – The youngest goalscorers in Champions League history

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Nwaneri joins top 15 

©TM/IMAGO

The final round of the Champions League league phase was pretty chaotic. Football fans could be forgiven for still nursing a headache today working out all the permutations of the new format. Manchester City and PSG ultimately managed to spare their blushes and confirm their places in the play-off round after early scares, whilst Aston Villa clinched the last top-eight spot that sees teams automatically go through to the last 16. Elsewhere, in a game with perhaps less meaning but not short of drama, Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri became the latest in a long line of youngsters to shine in the Champions League.

The 17 year old scored his first goal in UEFA’s top club competition, with a crisp curled left-footed strike which ended up being the winner for the Gunners in their 2-1 win at Girona. In doing that, Nwaneri became the 14th youngest goalscorer in the entire history of the Champions League, since the competition’s reformat in the 1992/93 season. The Premier League youngster joins an exclusive list of young talents who have scored in the Champions League at a young age, with many of those going on to be superstars of the game. The full list of the top 40 can be viewed below.

Leading the way, perhaps surprisingly to some, is Ansu Fati. The Spaniard was a breakthrough teenage star at Barcelona and netted for the Catalan giants in the Champions League when he was just 17 years, one month, and nine days old. His goal came in a 2-1 win against Inter Milan at the San Siro in 2019. Fati’s career has somewhat plummeted since the astronomical early promise he once showed, but he can still lay claim to this impressive Champions League record. In second place is the latest wonderkid to emerge from Barca’s La Masia academy. The €180-million-valued Lamine Yamal scored his first Champions League goal against Monaco last September aged 17 years, two months and six days old.

In third place is George Ilenikhena, who scored aged 17 years and three months old for Royal Antwerp last season. He is followed by another young star for a Belgian side – laying claim to fourth place is Antonio Nusa who scored for Club Brugge aged 17 years and four months old. Next up in fifth is Peter Ofori-Quaye, who, all the way back in 1997, scored for Olympiacos aged 17 years and six months old. Sixth spot goes to current Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic – the Croatian scored for Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League aged 17 years and seven months old.

Only younger than Kovacic by a matter of days, CescFàbregas takes seventh spot, having scored for Arsenal aged 17 years and seven months old. Barcelona flex their muscles again in eighth – former wonderkid Bojan Krkic scored for Barca aged 17 years and seven months old. As did Sparta Prague’s Martin Klein all the way back in 2002. Completing the top 10 is Swiss international Breel Embolo, who scored for FC Basel back in 2014, aged 17 years and eight months old. Ten other players have also managed to score in the Champions League before their 18th birthday.