Lamine Yamal will become the youngest player to ever play at the Euros.© AFP
Lamine Yamal will become the youngest player ever to feature at a European Championship after Spain coach Luis de la Fuente selected him to start their first match against Croatia on Saturday. The Barcelona winger, aged just 16 years and 338 days old, will beat Polish international Kacper Kozlowski, who played at Euro 2020 at 17 years and 246 days old. If Yamal scores during the tournament in Germany he will break the record for youngest goalscorer at the Euros, set by Johan Vonlanthen for Switzerland against France in 2004.
Yamal has enjoyed a superb breakthrough season at Barcelona after making his debut with the Catalan giants aged 15 in the 2023-24 campaign.
De la Fuente handed Yamal his Spain debut in September last year, when he became the country’s youngest ever player and goalscorer against Georgia in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Yamal was not even born when Croatia captain Luka Modric, 38, made his major tournament debut at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
“When I hear that kind of thing, I feel really old,” joked Modric.
“Everyone will see him as the greatest danger for Spain, he’s got great potential and a great career in front of him.”
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