Youngest player to appear
Kacper Kozłowski (17 years and 246 days)
Poland’s Pogoń Szczecin midfielder broke the record which had been set just six days before by England’s Jude Bellingham (17 years and 349 days) when he replaced Mateusz Klich midway through the second half against Spain during the UEFA EURO 2020 group stage.
EURO’s youngest players
17 yrs 246 days: Kacper Kozłowski (Poland 1-1 Spain, 19/06/2021)
17 yrs 349 days: Jude Bellingham (England 1-0 Croatia, 13/06/2021)
18 yrs 71 days: Jetro Willems (Netherlands 0-1 Denmark, 09/06/2012)
18yrs 115 days: Enzo Scifo (Belgium 2-0 Yugoslavia, 13/06/1984)
18yrs 128 days: Valeri Bozhinov (Italy 2-1 Bulgaria, 22/06/2004)
Youngest goalkeeper to appear
José Ángel Iribar (21 years and 108 days)
Younger goalkeepers have been included in EURO squads – Iker Casillas at UEFA EURO 2000 and Igor Akinfeev at UEFA EURO 2004 – but Iribar made the mark as the youngest keeper during Spain’s 2-1 win against Hungary on 17 June 1964. Four days later he was also EURO’s youngest winning goalkeeper as his team beat the USSR 2-1.
Youngest player to score
Johan Vonlanthen (18 years and 141 days)
The teenage midfielder had his finals debut at UEFA EURO 2004, on the day Wayne Rooney became the youngest scorer in EURO history with two goals against Vonlanthen’s Switzerland side. Vonlanthen claimed the scoring record for himself by netting against France four days later, in a 3-1 defeat on 21 June.
Young player to appear in the knockout stage
Pedri (18 years and 215 days)
Rooney held this record too, courtesy of his outing against Portugal in the 2004 quarter-finals, until youngster Pedri established a new landmark in Spain’s UEFA EURO 2020 last-16 meeting with Croatia. The Barcelona talent had already become the youngest player to represent his country at the finals in their group-stage opener against Sweden.
Youngest player to appear in a final
Renato Sanches (18 years and 328 days)
Having come to UEFA EURO 2016 fresh from joining Bayern from Benfica, midfielder Renato Sanches had a reputation to live up to. He did so by showing tigerish determination to force his way into the first team and then appearing in Portugal’s shock final triumph against hosts France.
Youngest player to score in a final
Pietro Anastasi (20 years and 63 days)
Anastasi’s right-foot volley from outside the box doubled Italy’s advantage against Yugoslavia in the 1968 final in Rome – and made the striker the youngest EURO final marksman ever. He was renowned for being the world’s most expensive player when he joined Juventus from Varese in 1968.
