20 Youngest Goalscorers in Champions League History

Key Takeaways

• As many as 19 different 17-year-olds have scored in the Champions League since the competition’s rebrand in 1992.
• Arsenal have boasted a glut of youthful scorers who enjoyed mixed careers after their prodigious start.
• Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal became the second-youngest scorer in Champions League history at the start of the 2024/25 season.

In years gone by, most aspiring footballers would have dreamt of winning the league, the FA Cup or, of course, the World Cup. Ask modern youngsters which trophy they aspire to win, however, and many of them would say the Champions League.

Formerly known as the European Cup, before the showpiece competition was rebranded back in 1992, the Champions League is arguably the most important tournament in world football these days. The quality of football is certainly higher in the Champions League than in any other competition – including the World Cup.

In order to be considered a truly great player in the modern era, at least one Champions League winner’s medal is essential. Since 1992, the best players of the current and past couple of generations have all made their mark in Europe’s premier club competition. The likes of Lionel Messi, Mario Balotelli and Raul once had the honour of being some of the youngest goalscorers in the tournament’s history, but a fresh batch of prospects breaking through recently have usurped them. Who are the 20 youngest goalscorers in Champions League history – and, more importantly, what happened to them?

20 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 18 years and 44 days

Arsenal (v Olympiakos) – 2011/12

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was considered a major hot prospect when he joined Arsenal in 2011, so it was hardly a surprise to see him become one of the youngest goalscorers in the Champions League shortly after his arrival. He never quite fulfilled the promise he initially showed, though, and as the seasons went by, he moved from a forward position into the midfield.

After moving to Liverpool in 2017, ‘the Ox’ actually went on to lift the Champions League trophy in 2019, an honour that many on this list haven’t achieved. He left the Reds in 2023 after six injury-riddled years and currently plays for Besiktas.

19 Jamal Musiala – 17 years and 362 days

Bayern Munich (v Lazio) – 2020/21

There are few attacking youngsters in the world right now with the potential that Jamal Musiala possesses. After joining Bayern Munich from Chelsea in 2019, the star has emerged as one of the club’s brightest talents and broke into the first team during the 2020/21 season. It was that year that saw Musiala score his first Champions League goal, three days shy of his 18th birthday.

He’s since remained a key figure for the Bundesliga giants and continues to improve each and every year. Still only 21 years old and already a leading figure for club and country, there’s no telling just how far the German international can go.

18 Roony Bardghji – 17 years and 358 days

FC Copenhagen (v Manchester United) – 2023/24

Manchester United were welcomed by FC Copenhagen fans in November 2023 to the “Theatre of Nightmares”. For 17-year-old Roony Bardghji, it was a dream evening. The prodigious Swede fired in an 87th-minute winner to complete a famous 4-3 comeback victory for the hosts.

Danish Superliga regulations prevented Bardghji from making his top-flight debut until he turned 16, but the powerful youngster had been ready long before then. A fleet-footed forward with an eye for goal, Bardghji openly admitted that his goal was “to become the best player in the world”. That ambition had to be put on ice after he sustained a severe knee injury in May 2024.

17 Karim Benzema – 17 years and 352 days

Lyon (v Rosenborg) – 2005/06

Tipped for greatness from an early age, Karim Benzema has gone on to win the Champions League five times during his career. The French striker, who became one of the youngest scorers in the tournament’s history during his time at Lyon, joined Real Madrid in 2009 and went on to become one of the greatest players in Los Blancos history.

The Frenchman scored 354 goals in 648 games for Madrid and left in the summer of 2023 as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner when he signed with Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. Benzema had three life goals when he set upon his footballing career; buy his mother a house, join Real Madrid and win the Ballon d’Or. Tick, tick and tick.

16 Rico Lewis – 17 years and 346 days

Manchester City (v Sevilla) – 2022/23

In a team filled to the brim with talent, Rico Lewis has emerged as a serious prospect at Manchester City and became the club’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer in the European treble-winning campaign when he found the back of the net against Sevilla. Pep Guardiola rates the full-back very highly and has already shown a knack for developing youth effectively in the past with the likes of Phil Foden. The Cityzens’ defence is stacked, though, and opportunities will prove hard to come by, but if Lewis continues developing at the rate he currently is, he’ll be a top-level defender in no time.

15 Marc Guiu – 17 years and 343 days

Barcelona (v Royal Antwerp) – 2023/24

Marc Guiu didn’t expect to be in Barcelona’s Champions League squad, let alone coming off the bench in a group-stage clash with Royal Antwerp in December 2023. The academy graduate had stunned Athletic Club with a debut goal 23 seconds into his senior career two months earlier. Guiu needed 19 whole minutes to find the net on the grand European stage.

Antwerp found a winner shortly after Barcelona’s stoppage-time equaliser, but Guiu still revelled in his golden moment. The teenager didn’t appear again for the Catalan giants in Europe and was afforded just an hour of top-flight football throughout the rest of the season. Despite his limited opportunities, Chelsea were confident enough to activate Guiu’s £5.1m release clause in the summer of 2024.

14 Pedri – 17 years and 330 days

Barcelona (v Ferencvarosi TC) – 2020/21

Pedri’s emergence as a hot prospect at Barcelona couldn’t have come at a more convenient time for the La Liga side. Facing financial hardships, the club didn’t really have much to turn to, but the youngster burst onto the scene and quickly became one of the most promising midfielders in the world. His goal against Ferencvarosi TC in October 2020 made him one of the side’s youngest ever goalscorers.

Ever since making an obscene 64 appearances for club and country during the 2020/21 campaign, Pedri has been hampered by injury. When fit, the cerebral playmaker is a joy to watch, dancing between a forest of limbs throughout the final third.

13 Aaron Ramsey – 17 years and 300 days

Arsenal (v Fenerbahce) – 2008/09

Heavily touted as one to watch at Cardiff City, Aaron Ramsey made an instant impact once he joined Arsenal and scored his first Champions League goal for the club at just 17 years old. The box-crashing midfielder went on to have a solid career at the Emirates, where he spent 11 years and scored 64 goals across 369 appearances, and reached cult hero status at the epicentre of Wales’ greatest international team ever.

Ramsey left the Gunners in 2019 and bounced around between Juventus, Rangers and OGC Nice looking to find a new home. He returned to the place where it all began in 2023, though, as he re-signed with Cardiff.

12 Jude Bellingham – 17 years and 289 days

Borussia Dortmund (v Manchester City) – 2020/21

Jude Bellingham is destined for great things. In fact, he’s already achieving great things, and it all started with his move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020. The midfielder became the youngest English goalscorer in Champions League history when he scored a consolation goal against Manchester City in April 2021.

It was a sign of things to come for the star, who’s only gotten better with each passing year. His move to Real Madrid in 2023 saw Bellingham establish himself as one of the greatest players on the planet. Thriving in the free-form system employed by Carlo Ancelotti, the prolific midfielder repeatedly stunned his well-travelled manager. “I’ve never seen a player of that age make such an impact,” the Italian gushed.

11 Warren Zaire-Emery – 17 years and 280 days

PSG (v Borussia Dortmund) – 2023/24

Warren Zaire-Emery’s embryonic career has been a procession of broken records. The youngest player in Paris Saint-Germain’s history became the first 17-year-old to play for France since 1914 in November 2023. One month later, Zaire-Emery found the net for the first time in a Champions League game.

Such is Zaire-Emery’s abundant talent, the Paris-born midfielder has been held up as the figurehead of PSG’s post-Messi, post-Neymar and post-Mbappe era. Thierry Henry wanted to call the teenager up for his under-23 team at the 2024 Paris Olympics but was overruled by the senior side’s Didier Deschamps. Zaire-Emery had to postpone his school exams to travel to Germany for Euro 2024.

10 Breel Embolo – 17 years and 263 days

Basel (v Ludogorets) – 2014/15

Breel Embolo made a huge impact during his first couple of years with Basel, making his debut at the tender age of 16 and became the club’s youngest-ever Champions League scorer when he bagged against Ludogrets. The Swiss international went on to complete a £16.8m move to Schalke in 2016 but suffered a serious injury shortly afterwards, which hindered his time at the proud Bundesliga club.

He moved across Germany to Borussia Monchengladbach in 2019 for almost half of what Schalke paid for him and rediscovered his form before joining Monaco in 2022. At 27 years old, the striker still has yet to even enter his prime.

9 Martin Klein – 17 years and 240 days

Sparta Prague (v Panathinaikos) – 2001/02

Along with Rico Lewis, Martin Klein is one of the few defenders to feature among the Champions League’s 20 youngest goalscorers. Klein’s career since his goal for Sparta Prague in February 2002 hasn’t been particularly noteworthy, to be honest, but he did make one appearance for the Czech Republic’s national team in 2009.

It seems the former centre-back’s goal against Panathinaikos at 17 years old was as good as his career ever really got. Klein retired in 2020 after a playing career which took him to Turkey, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Malta before finally hanging up his boots after a solitary appearance for non-league German outfit, Kickers Selb.

8 Bojan Krkic – 17 years and 217 days

Barcelona (v Schalke) – 2007/08

Tipped to become the next Lionel Messi, Bojan Krkic was a phenomenon in Barcelona’s youth ranks, scoring more than 900 goals. Sadly, though, despite starting off strongly and scoring his first Champions League goal at just 17 years old, he was unable to meet those lofty expectations at senior level and joined AS Roma in 2011.

He eventually moved to Stoke City in the Premier League and spent five years with the club – a scenario nobody would have thought possible back in 2007. After spells at Montreal Impact and Vissel Kobe failed to really uproot any trees, the former prospect retired in March 2023 and now works as Barcelona’s loan player manager.

7 Cesc Fabregas – 17 years and 217 days

Arsenal (v Rosenborg) – 2004/05

A star from a very early age, Cesc Fabregas made an immediate impact at Arsenal after leaving his boyhood club, Barcelona. The midfielder returned to Camp Nou in 2011 before moving to Chelsea, where he spent five successful years, winning a couple of Premier League trophies for his troubles.

The World Cup winner joined Monaco in 2019 and spent three years in France before moving to Como in Serie B in 2022. He retired one year later before joining the coaching staff of the upwardly mobile Italian outfit. Following a spell as assistant coach, Fabregas took the reins for Como’s first season of Serie A football in two decades.

6 Mateo Kovacic – 17 years and 215 days

Dinamo Zagreb (v Lyon) – 2011/12

While his Dinamo Zagreb were on the wrong end of a 7-1 thrashing when they met Lyon in 2011, it was a good day for Mateo Kovacic, who scored his first Champions League goal at just 17 years old. He was quickly signed up by Inter Milan before moving to Real Madrid in 2015. After three seasons at the Bernabeu, he joined Chelsea and had a decent career at Stamford Bridge.

One of the most decorated players on this list, Kovacic has won the Champions League on four separate occasions, thrice with Madrid and once with the Blues. He joined Manchester City in the summer and quickly added a Premier League title to his impressive trophy haul under Guardiola.

5 Peter Ofori-Quaye – 17 years and 194 days

Olympiakos (v Rosenborg) – 1997/98

For the majority of the Champions League’s history, Peter Ofori-Quaye was its youngest ever goalscorer. The record was surpassed recently, but he held onto it for quite some time. The Ghanian had a solid few years at Greek giants Olympiakos before moving on to the wonderfully named Liberty Professionals in his homeland.

Ofori-Quaye even played 18 times for his country, but his career was never quite as glamorous as being the youngest goalscorer in football’s greatest club tournament would suggest. Now 44, Ofori-Quaye brought the curtain down on his playing career in 2012 following a brief spell with Bechem United FC in his home country.

4 Antonio Nusa – 17 years and 149 days

Club Brugge (v FC Porto) – 2022/23

One of the most recent additions to this list and one of the very youngest, Antonio Nusa got his Champions League career off to a great start, scoring on his debut at 17 years old. The Norwegian has hardly been the most prolific striker in front of goal so far, but has shown glimpses of promise already and time will only tell on how far he can go.

Nusa marked his international debut for Norway with a goal and established himself as a regular for Club Brugge during their title-winning 2023/24 campaign. RB Leipzig snapped up the teenager for £17.6m in the summer of 2024 after fighting off interest from Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

3 George Ilenikhena – 17 years and 119 days

Royal Antwerp (v Barcelona) – 2023/24

When George Ilenikhena stepped onto the pitch for Royal Antwerp during their group-stage clash with Barcelona in December 2023, he couldn’t help but be starstruck. “I played against players who I previously only watched on television,” he gushed post-game. “It was unbelievable.” Ilenikhena didn’t only play against those stars, he beat them with a stoppage-time winner.

A perennial super sub for the Belgian outfit, the Nigeria-born forward openly admitted that Antwerp was “a stepping stone” in his ambitious career. The teenager who was raised in France from the age of three moved to Monaco in the summer of 2024 for £15.7m. On his first Champions League appearance for his new club, Ilenikhena scored again, nabbing another winner against Barcelona less than 12 months after his first strike.

2 Lamine Yamal – 17 years and 68 days

Barcelona (v Monaco) – 2024/25

All the talk leading up to Barcelona’s trip to Monaco in September 2024 revolved around how the Principality outfit would stop Lamine Yamal. Adi Hutter shifted his star right-back, Vanderson, onto Yamal’s flank so that he could keep a close eye on the best young player in the world. Barcelona’s prodigy skipped around his Brazilian opponent within the opening half-hour and rattled in a crisp equaliser for the depleted visitors.

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that there is little any coach, team or player can do to stop Yamal. As his Barcelona teammate, Ferran Torres, joked: “What Lamine does should be illegal.”

1 Ansu Fati – 17 years and 40 days

Barcelona (v Inter Milan) – 2019/20

The youngest goalscorer in Champions League history, Ansu Fati was barely even 17 when he opened his account in the competition for Barcelona back in 2019. The winger burst onto the scene and the hype that surrounded him was enormous. A meniscus tear in November 2020 proved to be the first of many lengthy injury layoffs.

After he was repeatedly rushed back by Barcelona’s hasty medical staff – leading to more fitness struggles – Fati tried to reignite his career with an unexpected loan move to Brighton & Hove Albion for the 2023/24 campaign. Injury and poor form afforded him just three Premier League starts. At 21 years old, he’s got plenty of time to turn things around.

Stats via Opta Analyst. Correct as of 20-09-24.