One question that often comes up in discussions about soccer is “who is the youngest soccer player?”.
The answer to this question is not straightforward as it depends on several factors such as the league, the country, and the specific position played. However, there are several notable examples of young players who have made a name for themselves in the sport. For instance, Francesco Camarda became the youngest ever Serie A player at the age of 15 years and 260 days old, when he made his debut for AC Milan in 2023. But that doesn’t make him the youngest Debutant on this list
Top 10 Youngest Debutants in Soccer 21th
1. Kyriakus Papadopoulus: At just 15 years and 189 days old, Kyriakus made his debut for Olympus Piraeus in 2007. Two years later he had a successful career with Schalke in which he regularly played in the Champions League and once won the DFB Cup and the Supercup. Unfortunately, serious injuries never allowed him to return to the same level at Schalke.
2. Francesco Camarda: He made his debut for Ac Milan 2023 at the age of 15 years and 160 days, becoming the youngest player in Serie A and the World. He is currently the youngest player in the top leagues.
3. Martin Ödegaard: With a difference of just under 1 year, Martin Ödegaard occupies 3rd place on this list. It took Ödegaard 16 years and 156 days to play for the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid, and he did so as a substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, he had almost no success at Real and was loaned out several times until he finally ended up at Arsenal FC in 2021 and has played a very good role at the Gunners ever since.
4. Alen Halilovic: Halilovic made his debut for Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16 years and 101 days. Hallilovic, the “mini Messi” as the media called him, was regarded as a huge talent and was at times under contract with FC Barcelona. However, he never lived up to the promise of his talent. His CV includes numerous clubs where he was unable to perform. Today he plays in the Dutch league Eridivisie.
5. Theo Walcott: Theo Walcott, the world’s most expensive 16-year-old in 2006 at £12million and another Gunners legend made his first appearance for Southampton FC at 16 years and 144 days old. He went on to have a very successful career spanning a decade in the Premier League at Arsenal, Everton and Southhampton.
6. Cesc Fabregas: Cesc Fabregas made his debut for Arsenal at the age of 16 years and 177 days and became a Gunners legend in the years that followed. He then returned to his boyhood club Barcelona for 5 years and then ruined his legendary status at Arsenal FC by moving from Barcelona to Chelsea, the Gunners’ hated city rivals. There he played soccer successfully for 3 years and won the Champions League.
7. Ansu Fati: Ansu Fati is probably the most recent case on this list. He made his debut for FC Barcelona at the age of 16 and 235 days in 2019 and was praised by all the media as the new Messi. However, this hype only lasted for one season, since then he has not made his mark at Barca and is currently on loan to Brighton in the Premier League.
8. Jack Wilshere: Jack Wishere was 16 years and 252 days old when he was brought in by Arsene Wenger in 2009. He had a solid Premier League career that ended at Bournemouth. He then went to Denmark in 2022 and finished his career there.
9. James Vaughan: Next on the list is one who is not only one of the youngest debutants in the 21st century, but also holds the record for the youngest player to score a goal in the Premier League. He was 16 years and 271 days old when he made his debut for Everton and scored in the same game. He was under contract with Everton until 2011, when he finally went through several loan spells and then tended to play in lower leagues.
10. Gareth Bale: Gareth bale has been the best footballer in this list, with Fabregas. His career began at Southhampton. At 16 years and 315 days, he played as a defender for Southhampton and was then retrained as an attacking player after moving to Tottenham. There he matured into one of the best attacking players in the Premier League. After his move to Real Madrid, he finally reached the top of the world and dominated the Spanish league and the Champions League with Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Mesut Özil. Towards the end of his career, he slowed down considerably and turned his attention to golf after his career as a footballer came to an end.
These players have all made their mark on the sport, and their records still stand today. Who knows who the next youngest debutant in soccer will be?
My Opinion on who is the youngest soccer player
The number of players coming into professional soccer earlier and earlier is getting higher and higher. The prices you pay for such players are increasing and the scouting of these players is starting with younger and younger players. This is a development that shows the level of professionalism that the sport has reached. In my opinion, however, this is to the detriment of the young players.
As they come into this professional system much earlier, they give up their childhood much earlier than the players 20-30 years ago. In addition, the number of players who don’t make it is relatively high, which means that most of them put all their eggs in the soccer basket and if they don’t make it, they have neither an education nor a high school diploma. This development will continue in the future and we will certainly have to redefine the records downwards on a regular basis.
FAQ
Who is the youngest soccer player in history?
The youngest soccer player in history is believed to be Lupo Quitongo from Scotland, who made his professional debut at the age of just 14 years and 27 days. This record has stood since 1995 and is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. However, there have been several other young players who have made their mark on the game at a very young age.
Who is the 13 year old professional soccer player?
Alex Kei, at the age of 13, is the world’s youngest ever soccer player to play in a big league for the USA. He appeared in the USL championship alongside Real Monarchs in their game against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. While he is not the youngest professional soccer player in history, he is certainly one of the youngest to play at such a high level.
Who is the youngest pro football player ever?
The youngest pro football player ever is believed to be Amobi Okoye, who was just 16 years old when he was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2007. Okoye was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. Despite his young age, he went on to have a successful career in the NFL, playing for several teams over the course of his career.
What is your opinion on who is the youngest soccer player? Let us know in the comments!