A phenomenon of precocity, Lamine Yamal, starter for Spain against Croatia, becomes the youngest player to play a Euro match at just 16 years and 338 days old. A record which could lead to others during this Euro 2024.
Starting against Croatia for Spain’s first match in Euro 2024 (match to be followed live on the RMC Sport website at 6 p.m.) in what is the first shock of the tournament, Lamine Yamal becomes the youngest player to play a Euro match at just 16 years and 338 days old. The FC Barcelona striker beats the record held since Euro 2020 by Polish midfielder Kacper Kozlowski, who came on against Spain at 17 years and 246 days.
Other records in sight for Yamal
If Lamine Yamal has already broken the precocity record for a player fielded at the Euro, the Barcelona player could not stop there and beat another record very quickly, that of the youngest scorer in the history of the competition. Johan Vonlanthen, Swiss midfielder who holds this record, scored his first goal at 18 years and 141 days old during Euro 2004 against France. Already the author of two goals in seven selections with La Roja, Lamine Yamal seems capable of shaking the nets during this Euro 2024 to beat this second record.
Spain’s form 2 days away from Spain – Croatia / With Fred Hermel – 06/13
Looking further into the competition, two other records could stand before Lamine Yamal, that of the youngest player fielded in the final and that of the youngest scorer in the final. The record for the youngest player fielded in the final is held by Renato Sanches, who started against France during Euro 2016 at 18 years and 328 days old. The youngest scorer in the final is Pietro Anastasi, who scored against Yugoslavia and contributed to Italy’s coronation in 1968, at the age of 20 years and 64 days. The road is still very long for Lamine Yamal and Spain before thinking about these last two records, we will already have to succeed in extricating ourselves from group B with Italy, Croatia and Albania.
