Tonight at 22:00 Bulgarian time, Germany faces Scotland in the opening match of Euro 2024.
Here are the youngest players who played and contributed with their appearances in European finals:
Poland's Kacper Kozlowski is the youngest player to play in European finals, having featured at Euro 2020 aged just 17 years and 246 days. However, that record is set to be broken in this year's edition of the competition by Spanish winger Lamine Yamal, who will be just 16 years and 338 days old when La Furia Roja face Croatia on 15 June.
The youngest player
Kacper Kozlovski (17 years and 246 days)
The Polish midfielder broke Jude Bellingham's mark set just six days earlier (17 years and 349 days) when he replaced Mateusz Klich midway through the second half in a 1-1 draw with Spain in a Euro 2020 group stage match.
Youngest players in European finals
17 years 246 days: Kacper Kozlowski (Spain - Poland 1:1, 19.06.2021)
17 years 349 days: Jude Bellingham (England - Croatia 1:0, 13/06/2021)
18 years 71 days: Jetro Willems (Netherlands - Denmark 0:1, 06/09/2012)
18 years 115 days: Enzo Scifo (Belgium - Yugoslavia 2:0, 13.06.1984)
18 years 117 days: Jamal Musiala (Germany - Hungary 2:2, 23.06.2021)
The youngest goalkeeper
Jose Angel Iribar (21 years and 108 days)
Younger goalkeepers have also been included in European squads - Iker Casillas at Euro 2000 and Igor Akinfeev at Euro 2004 - but Iribar was the youngest during Spain's 2:1 win over Hungary on 17 June 1964. Four days later, he also became the youngest goalkeeper to become a champion when Spain defeated the USSR by the same score.
The youngest scorer
Johan Vonlanthen (18 years and 141 days)
The teenager made his Euro 2004 debut on the day Wayne Rooney became the youngest goalscorer at the European finals with two goals against Vonlanthen's team Switzerland. Vonlanthen himself bettered Rooney's feat, scoring in the 1:3 loss to France on 21 June.
Youngest player in eliminations
Jude Bellingham (18 years and 4 days)
Rooney has held this record since playing Portugal in the quarter-finals in 2004. This feat has changed hands three times at Euro 2020 - first Pedri appeared for Spain in the round of 16 against Croatia, before Jamal Musiala did it a day later and displaced him from first place in the match between Germany and England. Then it was Bellingham's turn to top the rankings during the Three Lions' quarter-final success over Ukraine.
The youngest player in a final
Renato Sanches (18 years and 328 days)
Arriving at Euro 2016 after a transfer from Benfica to Bayern Munich, the midfielder had a lot to prove. It was his will and drive that earned him a place in the Portugal-France trophy clash, which the Mariners won 1:0.
The youngest goalscorer in a final
Pietro Anastasi (20 years and 64 days)
Anastasi's right-footed volley from outside the box doubled Italy's lead against Yugoslavia in a replay of the 1968 final in Rome - a strike that made him the youngest goalscorer in European Championship history. He was also known at the time for being the most expensive footballer when he joined Juventus from Varese in 1968. | BGNES
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Stefan Ignatov, Editor in the Sports Department of BGNES.
