Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko sets new record as UEFA Champions League's youngest player
Youssoufa Moukoko made history as the UEFA Champions League's youngest player with his substitute appearance in Borussia Dortmund's Group F meeting with Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Eighteen days after turning 16 and less than two weeks since stepping off the Dortmund bench to usurp Nuri Sahin as the Bundesliga's youngest-ever player, Moukoko has replaced Celestine Babayaro as the greenest debutant in the Champions League era by some distance. The previous record-holder was 16 years and 87 days when he started started for Anderlecht against Steaua Bucharest in the 1994/95 group stage.
Watch: Moukoko, the Bundesliga's youngest debutant
Moukoko was given a 32-minute run-out in Russia, after entering the fray in place of Felix Passlack for his fourth senior appearance.
With Dortmund already through to the knockout rounds, and fighting for the top prize in the Bundesliga, Moukoko could yet break the record as the Champions League's youngest goalscorer. The teen to beat is Barcelona's Ansu Fati, who was aged 17 years and 40 days when he found the net against Inter Milan on 10 December 2019.
Moukoko's tally of 141 goals in 88 games at youth level suggests he will reset that particular bar sooner rather than later.
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