Lamine Yamal heads to the New York New Jersey Stadium as one of the youngest players ever to feature in the FIFA World Cup final. The Spanish winger, who celebrated his 19th birthday last week ahead of the semi-final against France, now laces up to play the biggest match of his career against Lionel Messi-led defending champions, Argentina. Yamal’s Barcelona and national teammate, Pau Cubarsi, also finds a place among the top-five youngest World Cup finalists in history. The young defender rang in his 19th birthday in January.
Who is the youngest FIFA World Cup finalist?
Brazilian football great Pele holds the historic record, having played his first World Cup final in his debut 1958 edition at the age of 17 years 249 days and also lifted the title. The second-youngest on the list is Italy’s Giuseppe Bergomi, who featured in the 1982 final against West Germany at the age of 18 years 174 days.
France captain Kylian Mbappe, who became the World Cup champions in 2018, also finds a spot on the coveted charts. Now, Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi are the latest additions to the Top 5 list of youngest FIFA World Cup finalists.
Check the list of youngest-ever World Cup finalists here:
- Pele (Brazil) – 1958 FIFA World Cup Final vs Sweden (17 years, 249 days)
- Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy) – 1982 FIFA World Cup Final vs West Germany (18 years, 174 days)
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 2018 FIFA World Cup Final vs Croatia (19 years, 207 days)
- Lamine Yamal (Spain) – 2026 FIFA World Cup Final vs Argentina (19 years)
- Pau Cubarsi (Spain) – 2026 FIFA World Cup Final vs Argentina (19 years)
Who is the youngest-ever FIFA World Cup winner?
Again it’s Pele, who had a pivotal role in Brazil’s triumphant run at the 1958 World Cup. He also remains the youngest goal scorer in the final. Another Brazilian, Ronaldo Nazario, follows his country legend, having lifted the title at the age of 17 years and 298 days.
If Spain could beat Argentina in this year’s final, Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi would be among the top ten youngest World Cup winners. Mbappe also scripted the historic record as a 19-year-old, beating Croatia in the 2018 final. Yamal could also emerge as a major contender for the Ballon d’Or 2026 if he can wrap up the season with the biggest prize, after an impressive campaign with Barcelona.
