Spain striker Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup or European Championship final against England on Sunday, surpassing the record set by Brazilian legend Pele in 1958.
Yamal turned 17 on Saturday and the Barcelona player celebrated by assisting the opening goal that helped his nation beat England 2-1 as Spain won the European Championship for a record fourth time, beating Germany.
He was rewarded by being named Young Player of the Tournament.
“It's a dream come true and I'm looking forward to returning to Spain and celebrating,” Yamal told TVE. “It's the best birthday present I could have received. Now I want to go and celebrate with my family.”
“After the equaliser, they put a lot of pressure on. I don't know what this team is made of, but we always end up coming back.”
Yamal finished the tournament with one goal and four assists, the most assists in a single European Championship since records began in 1980.
He also became the first player to score or assist in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of a single European Championship.
Pelé, who died in 2022, was 17 years and 249 days old when he played in the 1958 World Cup final for Brazil, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over Sweden.
It is the second time in a week that Yamal has surpassed the mark set by Pele. In the midweek win over France, he became the youngest player to appear in the semi-final of a major national team tournament, earning him congratulations from the Pele Foundation, which administers the late striker's legacy.
“The Pelé Foundation congratulates Lamine Yamal on this important milestone in his career and hopes that this will be the first step in a long and victorious journey,” they said.
It was a record-breaking tournament for Yamal.
He became the youngest player to play in a European Championship in Spain's opening match against Croatia and then the youngest scorer in the finals when he scored in the semi-final victory over France.
“We have seen a genius, the product of a genius,” said Spanish coach De la Fuente in a press conference after that match.
Yamal has been at Barça since he was seven years old and made his debut with the first team last year when he was still 15.
Last season, at the age of 16, he made 50 appearances in all competitions for his club, scoring seven goals and assisting 10 more.
