Who are the youngest players to have appeared in a UEFA Champions League final?
The statistics in this article cover the UEFA Champions League era only (1992-93 season onwards)
Participating in a UEFA Champions League final is often the pinnacle of a player's football journey, but for some, that moment came early on in their careers.
Youngest players in a UEFA Champions League final (1992-93 onwards)
Name | Nationality | Team | Season | Age (year) | Age (days) | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nwankwo Kanu | Nigeria | AFC Ajax | 1994/95 | 18 | 296 | AC Milan |
Kizito Musampa | Netherlands | AFC Ajax | 1995/96 | 18 | 307 | Juventus |
Patrick Kluivert | Netherlands | AFC Ajax | 1994/95 | 18 | 327 | AC Milan |
Kingsley Coman | France | Juventus | 2014/15 | 18 | 358 | FC Barcelona |
Iker Casillas | Spain | Real Madrid C.F. | 1999/00 | 19 | 4 | Valencia CF |
Cesc Fàbregas | Spain | Arsenal FC | 2005/06 | 19 | 13 | FC Barcelona |
Clarence Seedorf | Netherlands | AFC Ajax | 1994/95 | 19 | 53 | AC Milan |
Carlos Alberto | Brazil | FC Porto | 2003/04 | 19 | 167 | AS Monaco |
Eduardo Camavinga | France | Real Madrid C.F. | 2021/22 | 19 | 199 | Liverpool FC |
Trent Alexander-Arnold | England | Liverpool FC | 2017/18 | 19 | 231 | Real Madrid C.F. |
Data is current up to and including the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final
To date, two-time African Player of the Year Nwankwo Kanu is the youngest player to participate in a UEFA Champions League final, coming on as a substitute in the 1994-95 final for Ajax at the age of 18 years and 296 days. An 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert also came on as a substitute in that game, a 1-0 victory for the Dutch side against AC Milan, making him the third youngest.
Four of the top ten were Ajax players at the time, with the two most recent entries on the list being Real Madrid pair Eduardo Camavinga and Trent Alexander-Arnold, although the latter came while he was a Liverpool player.
