Will Ansu Fati break a Champions League record?
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Article summary
Already a history-maker at 16, Barcelona's Ansu Fati can become the UEFA Champions League's youngest scorer.
Article top media content
Article body
Ansu Fati has made a blistering start to his Barcelona career – and the teenage winger now has a UEFA Champions League record within his sights as the group stage gets under way.
The 16-year-old made headlines again three days before the group stage started with a goal and an assist for Frenkie de Jong as Barcelona defeated Valencia 5-2, Fati becoming the youngest player in Liga history to score and deliver an assist in the same game. That came two weeks after his maiden Barça strike in a 2-2 draw with Osasuna, which earned him a place in the books as the club's youngest ever scorer.
The Guinea-Bissau prodigy was given his European debut on matchday one away to Borussia Dortmund and has a good chance to become the youngest scorer in UEFA Champions League history. That record is currently held by Peter Ofori-Quaye, who found the net aged 17 years and 195 days for Olympiacos against Rosenborg in October 1997.
Fati was aged 16 years and 322 days when the competition started which means that the No31 has almost the entire season to set a new benchmark. The record will be his if he manages to open his account between now and the end of the semi-finals – unless another young talent emerges to take the crown!
Youngest UEFA Champions League scorers*
17 years 195 days: Peter Ofori-Quaye (Rosenborg 5-1 Olympiacos, 01/10/97)
17 years 216 days: Mateo Kovačić (Dinamo Zagreb 1-7 Lyon, 07/12/11)
17 years 218 days: Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal 5-1 Rosenborg, 07/12/04)
17 years 218 days: Bojan Krkić (Schalke 0-1 Barcelona, 01/04/08)
17 years 241 days: Martin Klein (Panathinaikos 2-1 Sparta Praha, 27/02/02)
Youngest UEFA Champions League debutants*
16 years 87 days: Céléstine Babayaro (Anderlecht 1-1 Steaua, 23/11/94)
16 years 128 days: Alen Halilović (Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain, 24/10/12)
16 years 148 days: Youri Tielemans (Anderlecht 0-3 Olympiacos, 02/10/13)
16 years 242 days: Charis Mavrias (Panathinaikos 0-0 Rubin Kazan, 20/10/10)
16 years 263 days: Kenneth Zohore (Barcelona 2-0 København, 20/10/10)
*UEFA Champions League only; European Champion Clubs' Cup not included