10 Youngest Players in EUROs History (Ranked)

8 Johan Vonlanthen (Switzerland)

18 years and 141 days

One day short of a decade after their previous non-penalty goal in a major international tournament, Switzerland were able to celebrate another strike at the highest level. An 18-year-old Johan Vonlanthen was responsible for that belated release of ecstasy, firing his adopted nation level against France in the final group game of Euro 2004.

Vonlanthen had been handed his tournament debut in the closing stages of Switzerland’s previous encounter against England, earning a starting berth four days later, as Alexander Frei had been suspended for spitting at Steven Gerrard. The Colombia-born forward had grand ambitions of playing for Real Madrid but never capitalised upon his impressive tournament display. “I made two or three decisions that were important to me as a person,” Vonlanthen cryptically explained years later. “Sport, on the other hand, suffered as a result.”

7 Valeri Bojinov (Bulgaria)

18 years and 122 days

Valeri Bojinov was no stranger to breaking records. A Serie A debutant at just 15 with Lecce, he was practically ancient by the time he got on to the pitch for Bulgaria three years later. Emerging for the second half of a 2-1 defeat to Italy, the 18-year-old’s international career was less than 300 seconds old before he earned his first yellow card.

The former Fiorentina starlet was part of a spending spree at Manchester City in 2007 shortly before the club were taken over by today’s immensely wealthy ownership. Sven-Goran Eriksson sanctioned Bojinov’s arrival, which prompted comparisons to a physical forward on the red half of the city. Not that the Bulgarian was buying any of it. “If some people say I remind them of Wayne Rooney,” he scoffed, “all I can say is: ‘I wish.'”

6 Jamal Musiala (Germany)

18 years and 117 days

Seven months before coming on for Germany against Hungary at Euro 2020, Jamal Musiala was playing and scoring for England’s under-21 team. The Stuttgart-born forward spent his formative years in London, playing for Chelsea’s academy for the best part of a decade before Bayern Munich snapped him up.

The COVID-19 lockdown allowed German coach Joachim Low ample opportunity to convince Musiala to side with Die Mannschaft at Bayern’s canteen. Gareth Southgate may have missed out on one of the best young players in the world, but it was Musiala who ended on the losing side when England and Germany faced off in the first knockout stage of Euro 2020.

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5 Enzo Scifo (Belgium)

18 years and 115 days

Enzo Scifo honed his fraternal relationship with the ball during endless hours playing on the streets, reacting to the awkward bounces that the uneven surface offered to develop a velvet first touch. The elegant midfielder had barely left the concrete of Wallonia by the time he was selected by Belgium for Euro 1984.

Runners-up four years earlier, Scifo started all three games as his nation failed to progress beyond the group stages, through no fault of his own. The Anderlecht icon continued his rapid ascent, earning recognition as the Best Young Player at the 1986 World Cup as a 20-year-old. Scifo’s dizzying upward trajectory “all happened too quickly”, according to the prodigy himself, prompting a stagnation.

4 Jetro Willems (Netherlands)

18 years and 71 days

Two years on from reaching the World Cup final, the Netherlands had a strong squad heading into Euro 2012. But behind the likes of Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder – some of the greatest Dutch players of all time – there was a notable hole in Bert van Marwijk’s squad; left-back. Less than a year on from his top-flight debut, Jetro Willems was surprisingly given the nod by a typically risk-averse coach.

The PSV Eindhoven full-back started every game at Euro 2012 as the Netherlands lost each one in a fearsome group of death against Denmark, Germany and Portugal. While few could have thrived against the calibre of opposition, Willems notably struggled. After battering a shot against the crossbar five minutes into the opening game of the tournament, everything was downhill thereafter.

3 Jude Bellingham (England)

17 years and 349 days

Jude Bellingham had already had his shirt number retired and moved abroad for a fee of £26m before he briefly became the youngest player in European Championship history in 2021. The Birmingham City academy graduate only took up football as a seven-year-old and “didn’t really enjoy it”, by his own admission, at first.

That initial reluctance was imperceptible by the time Bellingham had elbowed his way into England’s setup at Euro 2020. Despite only being afforded three substitute appearances throughout the tournament, the teenager made an impressive impression on Gareth Southgate and his staff during training. “He was always the talk of the coaches’ room,” assistant Chris Powell revealed. “Every session he left you open-mouthed.”

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2 Kacper Kozlowski (Poland)

17 years and 246 days

Five months before Euro 2020 was initially scheduled, Kacper Kozlowski was confined to a hospital bed with a shattered pelvis and three broken vertebrae in his back. The Polish teenager only recovered in time to break the record for the youngest player in Euro history after the tournament was reorganised following the COVID-19 outbreak.

An all-action midfielder who grew to idolise Paul Pogba, Kozlowski went almost an entire year between competitive senior appearances for Pogon Szczecin while his bones healed. The imposing teenager was afforded just a pair of cameos at Euro 2020 and was dropped from the senior side shortly before manager Paulo Sosa left his post. No subsequent Poland coach has had faith in Kozlowski but revered talent spotters Brighton were convinced of his potential, snapping up the midfielder in January 2022.

1 Lamine Yamal (Spain)

16 years and 338 days

After a stellar 2023/24 campaign with Barcelona, Lamine Yamal made history during Spain’s opening match at Euro 2024 when he became the youngest footballer to ever play in the tournament and the first 16-year-old to ever feature. The Barcelona star was born in 2007 and was just four years old when the Spaniards won Euro 2012.

His rise to prominence has occurred at an electric pace, but his performances on the pitch for both club and country have ensured that he thoroughly deserved his place in the team and in the history books. The future is looking very bright for the youngster.

Stats via Transfermarkt. Correct as of 15th June 2024.