Lamine Yamal did not become the absolute youngest player to win the World Cup, but he joined an elite group of football legends after helping Spain capture the 2026 World Cup against Argentina at the age of 19 years and 6 days.
Brazilian legend Pelé retains the top spot, having won the 1958 World Cup at 17 years and 249 days. He is followed by his compatriot Ronaldo Nazário, who was 17 years and 298 days old when Brazil won the 1994 tournament (though Ronaldo did not play a minute).
Italian defender Giuseppe Bergomi ranks third, while Yamal ties for fourth place alongside Brazilian forward Coutinho (who won in 1962), as both lifted the trophy at exactly 19 years and 6 days old.
However, Yamal rises to third place when filtering for the youngest players who actually featured in the final and won the title, trailing only Pelé and Bergomi, and edging out his teammate Pau Cubarsí and France’s Kylian Mbappé.
A Historic International Double
The Barcelona star didn’t just walk away with the World Cup trophy; he became the first player in football history to win both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup before turning 20.
Yamal played a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph at just 16 years old before completing the historic international double two years later, etching his name alongside the all-time greats at the very start of his career.
Yamal’s next big milestone will likely be the UEFA Champions League—the only major trophy currently missing from his cabinet, having already secured all domestic honors with Barcelona.
