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News
- 6 hours ago
The 10 youngest players in Champions League history
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 4 Nov 2025 20:43 GMT
- 4 min read
Analysis
Max Dowman is the youngest player to ever feature in the Champions League after making his debut at just 15 years and 308 days old.
Arsenal handed the English wonderkid his bow in Europe's premier competition in a 3-0 away win over Slavia Prague in November 2025, less than three months after he became the second-youngest debutant in Premier League history.
Current ETV
Max Dowman
F (R), M (C)
Arsenal
Max Dowman
F (R), M (C)
Arsenal
ETV Range
€90K - €0.2M
The second-youngest Champions League player of all time is Youssoufa Moukoko, who played for Borussia Dortmund against Zenit St. Petersburg in 2020, aged 16 years and 18 days.
Lamine Yamal, who first appeared for Barcelona in the competition aged 16 years, 2 months and 6 days, is third on the list. He came on as a 68th minute substitute for Joao Felix during a 5-0 victory over Royal Antwerp in September 2023.
Celestine Babayoro is the fourth-youngest player to ever play in the Champions League after making his debut in the competition for Anderlecht against FCSB back in November 1994 aged 16 years, 2 months and 25 days.
The fifth-youngest Champions League player is Rayan Cherki. The Frenchman first played in Europe’s elite club competition at 16 years, 3 months and 10 days old when he replaced Maxwel Cornet during Lyon’s 2-0 loss to Zenit St Petersburg in November 2019.
In sixth place is forgotten wonderkid Alen Halilovic, who made his Champions League debut for Dinamo Zagreb aged 16 years, 4 months and 6 days in October 2012. The Croatian side lost 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain and Halilovic was sold to Barcelona less than two years later.
Youri Tielemans is the seventh-youngest player to feature in the Champions League after starting Anderlecht’s 3-0 defeat to Olympiacos in October 2013. He was 16 years, 4 months and 25 days old.
Francesco Camarda became the eighth-youngest Champions League player in history when he made his debut in the competition at the age of 16 years, 7 months and 12 days in October 2024. He replaced Alvaro Morata in the 7th minute of AC Milan’s 3-1 victory over Club Brugge.
Warren Zaire-Emery is ninth at 16 years, 7 months and 17 days old. He made his first Champions League appearance for PSG during a 7-2 demolition of Maccabi Haifa in October 2022.
Charalampos Mavrias completes the top 10, after making his Champions League debut for Panathinaikos aged 16 years, 7 months and 29 days in October 2010.
The 10 youngest players in Champions League history
| Player | Club | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Max Dowman | Arsenal | 15y 10m 2d |
| 2. Youssoufa Moukoko | Borussia Dortmund | 16y 18d |
| 3. Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | 16y 2m 6d |
| 4. Celestine Babayoro | Anderlecht | 16y 2m 25d |
| 5. Rayan Cherki | Lyon | 16y 3m 10d |
| 6. Alen Halilovic | Dinamo Zagreb | 16y 4m 6d |
| 7. Youri Tielemans | Anderlecht | 16y 4m 25d |
| 8. Francesco Camarda | AC Milan | 16y 7m 12d |
| 9. Warren Zaire-Emery | PSG | 16y 7m 17d |
| 10. Charalampos Mavrias | Panathinaikos | 16y 7m 29d |
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