Youngest Football Players Ever

Football is a sport which requires great stamina, and stamina is highly affected by age. Children start playing football at a very young age, and depending on their competence, get to make their debut for a senior team at different ages. Some play their first match at the age of 16, while the others have to wait until their mid-twenties to make their debuts.

Throughout the history, there have been a number of "wonder kids" who were given the chance of playing senior football at a very young age. Some of them continued to stay in the top-flight football, while some others faded away gradually.

The "Golden Boy" award is one of the most prestigious individual prizes in European football. The award was established by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport in 2003 and voted for by journalists and the public. It is presented to the player under the age of 21 adjudged to have had the most impressive calendar year.

Previous winners include

, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, and Kylian Mbappe. Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt scooped the award in 2018. Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix was named the 2019 Golden Boy after a sensational year at Benfica and the Wanda Metropolitano.

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland was named the winner of the 2020 Golden Boy award. Haaland beat off competition from Barcelona forward

, who was runner-up, to win the award. Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies came third while Haaland's Dortmund teammate Jadon Sancho took the fourth place.

Youngest Football Players Ever:

In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the youngest football players ever, and how their destiny in the sport turned out to be.

Who is the youngest-ever professional footballer?

Read on to find out.

Mauricio Baldivieso

• Full name: Pedro Mauricio Baldivieso Ferrufino

• Date of birth: 22 July 1996 (age 25)

• Place of birth: La Paz, Bolivia

• Height: 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)

• Position(s): Midfielder

Mauricio Baldivieso is a Bolivian footballer who last played as a midfielder for Club San José in the Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano.

On the 19th of July, 2009, and at the age of 12 years and 362 days, Baldivieso became the youngest player ever to play professional football when his father, Julio Baldivieso, who managed Club Aurora at the time, sent him on the field as a late substitute against La Paz on 19 July 2009.

However, he did not become a famous player of any kind. Baldivieso later played for Real Patosi, Nacional Patosi, Universitario de Sucre, Wilstermann, and San Jose – all in his home country. He hasn't played football since his contract with San Jose expired in 2018.

Souleymane Mamam

• Full name: Souleymane Mamam

• Date of birth: 20 June 1985 (age 36)

• Place of birth: Lomé, Togo

• Height: 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)

• Position(s): Midfielder

The former

player Souleymane Mamam, listed by FIFA as the youngest-ever player who has appearaed in a World Cup qualifying match, supposedly aged 13 years and 310 days when he appeared for Togo against Zambia in May 2001.

Presumably this was not his senior debut, whish means it's possible he was close to Baldivieso's age when he first featured in a game, although question marks have continued to hover over Maman's claims throughout his career.

When he appeared for Royal Antwerp on loan from United, for instance, the club listed his year of birth as 1985, meaning he was at least 16 at the time of the Togo-Zambia match. With all of that to say, there is no vivid proof am Mamam's true age at the time of his debut.

Freddy Adu

• Full name: Fredua Koranteng Adu

• Date of birth: June 2, 1989 (age 32)

• Place of birth: Tema, Ghana

• Height: 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)

• Position(s): Attacking midfielder, forward

The Ghana-born attacking midfielder had moved to the US in 1997 and swiftly became the great hope of American soccer, and was dubbed "the next Pele", what we know today has been a dull act.

In 2004, at the age of 14, Adu became the youngest American and youngest athlete ever to sign a professional contract in any sports team when he joined D.C. United, and also became the highest-paid player in MLS when he joined DC United as the number one pick in the MLS Super Draft.

Three months later, on April 3, 2004, Adu became the youngest player to feture in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match when he came on as a substitute in a game against the San Jose Earthquakes. 2 weeks later, on 17th of April of 2004, he became the youngest ever MLS goal scorer, scoring a goal in a 3–2 loss to the MetroStars.

The Ghanaian-born American was expected to take MLS and American football to a next level, but he never managed to reach the lofty expectations that had been set for him at a very young age. Many prominent European clubs became interested in signing him, but he could not get a work permit to make a move to Europe before he turned 18 and was signed by Benfica.

However, the excitement around him died down significantly as his performances were not satisfying. He experienced playing in many different clubs and became a" journeyman", playing for 15 different teams from 9 different countries.

His career did not continue as football fans had expected, and he became one of the first names in every list of soccer players who never fulfilled their potential.

Pele

• Full name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento

• Date of birth: 23 October 1940 (age 81)

• Place of birth: Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil

• Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

• Position(s): Attacking midfielder, forward

Regarded as one of the football's greatest players,

is also one of the

youngest football players ever

. He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 15 against Corinthians Santo Andre and had an impressive performance in a 7–1 victory, scoring the first goal in his prolific career during the match.

In 1957, Pele was the league's top scorer. Moreover, he made his debut for Brazil national team on July 7th, 1957, in a 2 – 1 defeat against Argentina at Maracana Stadium. He also scored his first international goal for Brazil in that match, aged 16 years and 9 months, which is a record to this day.

Furthermore, On 29 June 1958, Pelé became the youngest player to play in a World Cup final match at 17 years and 249 days, in a tournament which he scored 2 goals in its final match in a 5 – 2 victory against Sweden. The following is "the youngest" records of Pele: (from Wikipedia)

• Youngest winner of a FIFA World Cup: aged 17 years and 249 days (1958)

• Youngest goal scorer in a FIFA World Cup: aged 17 years and 239 days (for Brazil vs Wales, 1958)

• Youngest player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup: aged 17 years and 244 days (for Brazil vs France, 1958)

• Youngest player to play in a FIFA World Cup Final: aged 17 years and 249 days (1958)

• Youngest goal scorer in a FIFA World Cup Final: aged 17 years and 249 days (for Brazil vs Sweden, 1958)

Martin Odegaard

• Full name: Martin Ødegaard

• Date of birth: 17 December 1998 (age 23)

• Place of birth: Drammen, Norway

• Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

• Position(s): Attacking midfielder

The Norwegian talent, who is currently 22 years old, was one of the

youngest football players

at the time he made his professional debut. He became the youngest football player to play in the Norwegian top – flight league (Tippeligaen), when he played for Strømsgodset Toppfotball in the April of 2014.

Later in May, he became the youngest ever goal scorer of the league. He became a pivotal part of his team in his first season, and convinced

authorities to sign him in the January of 2015, while he was only 16.

In May of 2015, Odegaard also became the youngest player to have represented Real Madrid at the age of 16 years and 157 days, playing in a 7-3 victory over Getafe in the final match of 2014/15 La Liga.

Moreover, on 27th of August of 2014, he became the youngest ever debutant for Norwegian national team at the age of 15 years and 253 days, when he played for them against the United Arab Emirates.

He has been loaned out to different teams such as Heerenveen, Vitesse,

, and Arsenal. He joins Arsenal in 2021 with a permanent deal, where he might be given the chance to fulfill his potential.

Ansu Fati

• Full name: Anssumane Fati Vieira

• Date of birth: 31 October 2002 (age 19)

• Place of birth: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

• Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

• Position(s): Forward

promising talent who is 18 right now is one of the youngest football players ever to have made his debut in the senior football.

On 28th of August of 2019, Fati made his debut for Barcelona senior team at the age of 16 years and 298 days, and became the second youngest player to debut for the Barça first team in La Liga, aged 16 years and 298 days coming on for

in the 78th minute of a 5-2 win over Betis at the Camp Nou.

He is behind only Vicente Martínez, who made his first appearance at 16 years, 9 months and 7 days. Moreover, only 6 days after his debut for Barcelona, he scored his first goal for the club and became the club's youngest goal scorer in history.

He found the net with FC Barcelona's first goal in an eventual 2-2 draw with Osasuna, converting a Carles Pérez cross. He was 16 years and 304 days old at the time. On 14th of September of 2019, he became the youngest starter to play for Barca at Camp Nou when he was included in the line-up for the match against Valencia at the age of 16 years and 318 days.

Furthermore, he as one of the

youngest football players of all time

, Fati became the youngest player to score goal and provided assist in a single match in La Liga in the mentioned game against Valencia, which Barca won 5 – 2.

His goal made him the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Camp Nou, for either FC Barcelona or an away team (16 years and 318 day). Three days later he became Barcelona's youngest ever Champions League debutant, and on the 10th of December of 2019, in the final game of the Group Stage, Ansu Fati came on in the 85th minute against Internazionale at the San Siro.

Just a minute later, he scored the winning goal. Besides giving Barça the victory, it made him the competition's youngest ever goalscorer, at 17 years and 40 days old. Currently aged 18, he is one of the most promising players in the world who is said to have a bright future.

Theo Walcott

• Full name: Theo James Walcott

• Date of birth: 16 March 1989 (age 32)

• Place of birth: Stanmore, England

• Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m)

• Position(s): Forward

Southhampton player,

, is currently one of the

youngest football players ever

to play for England when he played against Hungary in May of 2006.

Aged 17 years and 75 days, Walcott had never played in the Premier League and had only played 13 matches of senior football. He then went on to be picked in the England squad for that summer's World Cup in Germany.

He went on to play for Arsenal for 12 years, where he scored 108 goals in 397 appearances, before moving on to Everton in 2018, where he played for 2 years before returning to the club in which he had started professional football,

.

Ki-Jana Hoever

• Full name: Ki-Jana Delano Hoever

• Date of birth: 18 January 2002 (age 19)

• Place of birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

• Position(s): Centre-back, right-back

In the January of 2019,

made history when he became Liverpool's youngest FA Cup player in the club's history at the age of just 16 years and 354 days.

He came on the pitch during Liverpool's match with Wolves, which saw the Premier League leaders go crashing out of the competition.

Harvey Eliott

• Full name: Harvey Daniel James Elliott

• Date of birth: 4 April 2003 (age 18)

• Place of birth: Chertsey, England

• Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)

• Position(s): Winger

Another English player in the list of youngest football players ever is the currently 18-year-old Harvey Eliott. His first senior appearances occurred when he played for Fulham in the September of 2018 in the EFL Cup, becoming the youngest player in the history of the tournament at the age of 15 years and 174 days.

He had been at school earlier that day and was back at school the next morning. Moreover, in the May of 2019, he went on to be the youngest ever player to feature in a Premier League game at the age of 16 years and 30 days.

He later joined Liverpool in the July of 2019, and made his competitive debut for the club on 25 September 2019 in an EFL Cup match against Milton Keynes Dons.

By doing so, at the age of 16 years and 174 days, he became the youngest ever player to start a match for the club, and the second-youngest to feature in a competitive fixture behind Jerome Sinclair.

He was loaned out to Blackburn Rovers for 2020/21 season, and returned to

in the start of 2021/22 season, signing a long-term contract.

Matthew Briggs

• Full name: Matthew Anthony Briggs

• Date of birth: 6 March 1991 (age 30)

• Place of birth: Wandsworth, London, England

• Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

• Position(s): Left-back

Another player who has made his debut for Fulham is

. Regarded as one of the youngest football players of all time, he made his Premier League debut for the club at the age of 16 years and 68 days, which stood a record until Harvey Eliott broke it in 2019.

However, his career has not been an interesting one, and it has been full of loan and permanent transfers. He has played for 14 different clubs ever since he left Fulham in 2014, and is currently a part of Gosport Borough team, and captains Guyana national football team.

Luka Romero

• Full name: Luka Romero Bezzana

• Date of birth: 18 November 2004 (age 17)

• Place of birth: Durango City, Mexico

• Height: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)

• Position(s): Attacking midfielder

is the youngest football player to have participated in a La Liga match. Playing for Mallorca, he replaced Iddrisu Baba late into a 0–2 away defeat against Real Madrid on 24th of June of 2020 at the age of 15 years and 219 days. On 19 July 2021, Romero transferred to Serie A club Lazio.

Wisdom Amey

• Full name: Wisdom Amey

• Date of birth: 11 August 2005 (age 16)

• Place of birth: Bassano del Grappa, Italy

• Height: 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)

• Position(s): Right-back

Regarded as one of the youngest football players, the Italian teenager is also the youngest player to have appeared in a Serie A match. Aged 15 years and 274 days,  Amey made his professional debut with Bologna in a 2–0 Serie A loss to Genoa on 12 May 2021, coming on as a late substitute in the 89th minute.

Amedeo Amadei

• Full name: Amedeo Amadei

• Date of birth: 26 July 1921

• Place of birth: Frascati, Italy

• Date of death: 24 November 2013 (aged 92)

• Place of death: Frascati, Italy

• Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

• Position(s): Striker

Considered one of the greatest Italians of all time, Amadei was also one of the

youngest football players ever

.

He made his professional debut on 2 May, 1937 with A.S. Roma aged 15 years and 280 days (the youngest debut in Serie A history; surpassed on 12 May 2021 by Wisdom Amey) in a 2–2 draw against Fiorentina.

Moreover, he became the youngest goal scorer in thr history of Serie A when he scored A.S. Roma's only goal in a 5 – 1 defeat against A.S. Lucchese Libertas 1905 only 7 days after his debut. He spent most of his career playing for AS Roma, Napoli, and

.

Amadei appeared in a total of 508 league games and scored 209 goals, and is deservedly one of the greatest Italian players of all time.

Pietro Pellegri

• Full name: Pietro Pellegri

• Date of birth: 17 March 2001 (age 20)

• Place of birth: Genoa, Italy

• Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

• Position(s): Striker

Currently A.S. Monaco player, he joined Amedeo Amadei in the record of being the second youngest player to play in a Serie A match at the age of 15 years and 280 years when he came on the pitch for Genova in the 88th minute of their game against Torino on 22 December of 2016.

Upon doing so he also became the first player born in the 21st century to appear in Serie A, and the second player born in the 2000s to make his Italian top-flight debut after Moise Kean. Only 6 days later, he became the first 21st century-born player to score in Serie A, and the third youngest goal scorer ever in the Italian top flight, after Amadei and Gianni Rivera.

He joined Monaco in 2018, and made his debut on 16 February in a 4–0 home win against Dijon in Ligue 1, coming on for the final four minutes in place of Keita Baldé at the age of 16 years and 10 months and 30 days.

By doing so, he became the youngest league player in the club's history, breaking

's record by eleven days. On 26th of August of the same year, he scored his first goal for Monaco and earned himself the honor of being the first player who has been born in the 2000s to have scored in French League 1.

Gianni Rivera

• Full name: Giovanni "Gianni" Rivera

• Date of birth: 18 August 1943 (age 78)

• Place of birth: Alessandria, Italy

• Height: 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)

• Position(s): Forward, Attacking midfielder

is the third youngest player in history to debut in Serie A, behind only Amedeo Amadei and Pietro Pellegri, and the second youngest goalscorer in Serie A, behind only Amadei.

He made his debut in Serie A for US Alessandria Calcio 1912 on 2 June 1959 and the age of 15 years 9 months and 15 days. Moreover, he scored his first Serie A goal in a 2–2 home draw with Sampdoria on 25 October. Rivera joined A.C. Milan in 1960, and stayed there until he hung his boots in 1979.

Francisco Bao Rodriguez (Sanson)

• Full name: Francisco Bao Rodríguez

• Date of birth: 20 April 1924

• Place of birth: Vigo, Spain

• Date of death: 13 February 2012 (aged 87)

• Place of death: Vigo, Spain

• Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)

• Position(s): Defender

Sanson is the second youngest player to have featured in a LaLiga match, making his debut for Celta Vigo 15 years and 8 months and 11 days in a 4 – 1 win against Sevilla in the last day of the year 1939. He did not achieve any remarkable trophies in his career and only played for mediocre clubs.

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