SXITEEN YEAR OLD Lamine Yamal has become the youngest-ever player to a feature at a European Championship after starting for Spain.
Spanish boss Luis de la Fuente selected the teenager to start against Croatia in their Euro 2024 Group B opener on Saturday.
Spain’s youngest goalscorer starts on the right wing after becoming a key player for his country since bagging on his debut in September.
The Barcelona winger, 16 years and 338 days old is the youngest player to start a Euros game after scoring two goals in the Euro qualifiers.
Yamal breaks the record set at Euro 2020 by Poland’s Kacper Kozlowski, who was 17 years and 246 days when he came on against Spain.
If Yamal scores during the tournament in Germany, he will break the record for youngest goalscorer at the Euros, set by Johan Vonlanthen for Switzerland in 2004.
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The forward was aged 18 years and 141 days when he equalised against France 20 years ago.
Yamal was not even born when Croatia captain Luka Modric, 38, made his major tournament debut at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
That is a 22 year age gap between the two stars who start in opposing midfields today.
The teenage sensation burst on to the scene with Barcelona, and became he youngest goalscorer for ANY TEAM in LaLiga history.
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Yamal made his debut with the Catalan giants aged 15 in the previous campaign.
And was also the youngest player to appear in a competitive fixture for Barca.
Speaking about Yamal ahead of the game, Spain team-mate Dani Carvajal said: “We were talking the other day and I told him that when I was 17 years old I was celebrating winning the Youth League with Real Madrid.
“Here is here, playing in the Euros with the senior team and being relevant at Barcelona.”
In contrast, Modric starts in a very experienced Croatia line up in his ninth major tournament.
He captains Croatia and is joined in midfield by Marcelo Brozovic and Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic, with 372 caps between them.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
