Lamine Yamal Enters Record Books Once More With Spain Exploits

The Spaniard marked his return to Spain’s team after injury in style.

Just another ordinary day in the life of Lamine Yamal (center left). | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Lamine Yamal needed just over 10 minutes to opening the scoring in Spain’s Group H encounter with Saudi Arabia, adding himself to the history books in the process.

The superstar teenager was sorely missed for much of Spain’s first match against Cabo Verde, with the African side holding the European champion to a goalless draw against the odds in Atlanta. When Yamal did, eventually, come off the bench in the second half it was too little too late.

However, after being judged fit enough to make the lineup for the clash with Saudi Arabia by manager Luis De la Fuente, Yamal wasted no time in announcing himself on the global stage in what was his first-ever World Cup start.

A sliding, backpost finish to open the scoring early in the first half means the Barcelona forward is one of just nine players to get goals at the World Cup before turning 19.

Here’s a rundown of all those precocious stars making you feel bad about your own teenage achievements.

Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

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The Youngest Goalscorers in World Cup History

9. Lionel Messi (18 years & 357 days)

Lionel Messi’s World Cup career spans 20 years. | Matt Roberts/Offside/Getty Images

A baby-faced, shaggy-haired Lionel Messi scored Argentina’s sixth late on in a 6–0 win over Serbia & Montenegro in the group stage back in 2006 ...

Nobody ever heard from the young forward again.

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8. Lamine Yamal (18 years & 343 days)

Lamine Yamal has elite company. | Pablo Garcia/Soccrates/Getty Images

A European champion at 16, Yamal surely would’ve bagged his first World Cup goal earlier had there been a tournament before.

Blame FIFA for that one, Lamine.

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7. Dmitri Sychev (18 years & 231 days)

Dmitri Sychev (right) joined the club in 2002. | ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images

The young Dmitri Sychev was briefly tipped to be soccer’s next big thing after lighting up the group stages at the 2002 World Cup, scoring in a 3–2 defeat to Belgium.

He subsequently spent the vast majority of his career at Lokomotiv Moscow, following a brief sojourn at French giants Marseille.

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6. Nicolae Kovacs (18 years & 197 days)

Nicolae Kovacs was of the youngest-ever goalscorers at a World Cup for some time, owing to the fact he scored in the tournament’s first edition for Romania against Peru back in 1930.

You’ll forgive me us for not having more details of the goal itself.

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5. Michael Owen (18 years & 190 days)

Michael Owen was a true wonderkid. | David Ashdown/Getty Images

Michael Owen had the world at his feet, literally, when he darted past half of Argentina to blast the ball past into Carlos Roa’s net for one of the great World Cup goals.

That incredible effort was actually Owen’s second goal at the 1998 World Cup—the first coming as a consolation for England in the group stage defeat to Romania.

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4. Ibrahim Mbaye (18 years & 143 days old)

Ibrahim Mbaye is a new addition to the list. | Howard Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images

Amazingly, Lamine Yamal is not the youngest scorer at the 2026 World Cup.

That honor belongs to Senegal and Paris Saint-Germain talent Ibrahim Mbaye, who netted late on against France. Sadly, his efforts were in vein as Les Bleus ran out 3–1 winners after Kylian Mbappé (two) and Bradley Barcola did the damage at MetLife Stadium in New York.

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3. Gavi (18 years & 110 days)

Gavi enjoyed a memorable World Cup debut. | David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

Lamine Yamal is not Spain’s youngest World Cup scorer either—that’s Gavi after he thumped in a stunning volley in a 7–0 rout of Costa Rica in the 2022 group stages.

Took your time, Lamine ...

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2. Manuel Rosas (18 years & 93 days)

Another veteran of the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the Mexican Manuel Rosas—who claimed a brace against Argentina—also scored the first-ever own in the competition and was the first Mexican to score twice in the tournament.

Naturally, he doesn’t appear in many (any) online digital photo archives.

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1. Pelé (17 years & 239 days)

Pelé is a World Cup icon. | AFP/Getty Images

The teenage Pelé was deemed “infantile” and not worthy of his place in the team by Brazil’s psychologist ahead of the 1958 World Cup.

The young forward scored his first World Cup goal in the quarterfinals against Wales. He then went on to score a hat-trick in the semis and a double in the final. He ended his career with 12 tournament goals and three World Cups.

If you ever have imposter syndrome at work, remember that psychologist.

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