Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland – the list goes on and on – are the best attackers in football at the moment. However, it would be hard to believe that none of them has made it to the list of top 10 youngest ever scorers in UEFA Champions League history.
10. Pedri ( 17 years, 330 days)
Pedri was a revelation for Barcelona last season and he went on to make a big impact with the Spanish national team in the Euro 2020 at such a tender age. He scored his first goal in the Champions League against Ferencevaros in the group stage last season. The young midfielder had many memorable games in the 2020/21 season but his best performance came against Juventus away in the same group stage.
9. Aaron Ramsey (17 years, 300 days)
Juventus star Aaron Ramsey might be a forgotten figure now due to his lack of form in recent years but his initial years at Arsenal were blooming. The Welsh midfielder scored his maiden Champions League goal in the 2009/10 group stage against Fenerbahce.
8. Jude Bellingham (17 years, 289 days)
Jude Bellingham is one of the hottest properties in football at the moment and his name can be spelt in the same vein as some of the best young central midfielders. The young English star’s career has been in an upward spiral over the last two years and he became Dortmund’s youngest ever scorer in the Champions League after his goal against Manchester City in the last season’s quarter-finals.
7. Breel Embolo ( 17 years, 263 days)
Borussia Monchengladbach’s Breel Embolo is a highly talented forward and he also took part in Switzerland’s Euro 2020 campaign. Before moving to Bundesliga, he broke the headlines by becoming the youngest ever in Basel’s UCL history, doing so in the 2014/15 group stage against Ludogorets.
6. Martin Klein (17 years, 241 days)
Martin Klein’s name could be the less eminent one in this list and his career isn’t remarkable either. The 37-year-old Czech footballer scored his first goal for Sparta Praha in the Champions League against Panathinaikos in the 2001-02 season at the age of 17. He can be proud of the achievement his entire life.
5. Bojan Krkic (17 years, 218 days)
Former Barca star Bojan Krkic was dubbed as the next Lionel Messi due to his immense potential but he failed to live up to the label. His first goal for Barca in the Champions League came against Schalke in the 2007/08 quarterfinals.
4. Cesc Fabregas (17 years, 218 days)
Cesc Fabregas is the second Arsenal player to feature in the list following Ramsey. However, he made a name for himself in top clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea. Fabregas is the youngster scorer in the Gunners’ Champions League history, achieving the feat in the 2004/05 group stage game against Rosenborg.
3. Mateo Kovacic (17 years, 216 days)
Mateo Kovacic continues to be a key cog in the midfield for Chelsea over the last two seasons. The Croatian star struggled to be a regular at Real Madrid during his time in Spain although he showed his brilliance whenever he was provided with the chances. Kovacic’s formative years were even more prolific and he was one of the finest players to come out of talent factory Dinamo Zagreb. He scored his first UCL goal for Dinamo Zagreb against Lyon in the 2011-12 group stage though the former lost the tie 7-1.
2. Peter Ofori – Queye (17 years, 195 days)
Peter Ofori-Queye is a retired footballer from Ghana and he enjoyed a good spell at the Greek club Olympiacos between 1997 and 2003. He grabbed his first-ever goal in the UCL for Olympiacos in the 1997-98 season against Rosenborg.
1. Ansu Fati (17 years, 40 days)
Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati looks like a real deal and the expectations on him have grown after he inherited the legendary No.10 shirt from Lionel Messi. The Spanish youngster lived up to his potential in the 19/20 season, which was also his break-out season. He also became the youngest ever scorer in Champions League history after netting a goal against Inter Milan in the group stage at San Siro. The following season turned out to be a disappointing one as he sustained a serious knee injury which kept him out of action for a year. The Blaugrana made his return against Levante last month and also found the scoresheet immediately. He also inspired the Catalan giants to a crucial victory against Valencia on Sunday.
