The countdown to the2026 World Cupis on! Each day ahead of the tournament's return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world's biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year's global event.
The World Cup is a great place for up-and-coming talent to showcase their skills on the biggest stage. But ina long line of teenagersscoring at the World Cup, only one player has found the back of the net at age 17: the late, great Brazilian forward Pelé.
Pelé scored his first goal for Brazil at the 1958 World Cup, hitting the game-winner against Wales at the age of 17 years and 239 days. He went on to score two goals in the final, as Brazil beat Sweden, the host country, 5-2 to win their first World Cup championship.
Advertisement
Following Pelé, the next youngest goalscorer is Mexico's Manuel Rosas, who kicked the first-ever World Cup penalty kick in 1930 at 18 years and 93 days old in a loss to Argentina. And in third is a more recent entry, with Spanish midfielder Gavi scoring in the 2022 World Cup at 18 years and 110 days old. Gavisnuck in a goaloff the post in the 74th minute of Spain's 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica.
A bit further down in the top 15 is a young Lionel Messi, who scored his first World Cup goal in 2006: Minutes after subbing in for his World Cup debut, a nearly 19-year-old Messi beat the Serbia and Montenegro back line toscore a bangerand give Argentina a 6-0 lead.
Right below him is United States midfielder Julian Green, whoscored off a stellar volleyin a loss to Belgium at the 2014 World Cup. And a few under Green are the first World Cup goals of England's Jude Bellingham and France's Kylian Mbappé, in 2022 and 2018, respectively.
The 15 youngest goalscorers in World Cup history
Pelé (Brazil) — 1958, at 17 years and 239 days
Manuel Rosas (Mexico) — 1930, at 18 years and 93 days
Gavi (Spain) — 2022, at 18 years and 110 days
Michael Owen (England) — 1998, at 18 years and 190 days
Nicolae Kovacs (Romania) — 1930, at 18 years and 197 days
Dmitri Sychev (Russia) — 2002, at 18 years and 231 days
Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 2006, at 18 years and 357 days
Julian Green (United States) — 2014, at 19 years and 25 days
Divock Origi (Belgium) — 2014, at 19 years and 65 days
Martin Hoffmann (East Germany) — 1974, at 19 years and 88 days
Jude Bellingham (England) — 2022, at 19 years and 145 days
Tostão (Brazil) — 1966, at 19 years and 171 days
Kylian Mbappé (France) — 2018, at 19 years and 183 days
Edmund Conen (Germany) — 1934, at 19 years and 198 days
Moussa Wague (Senegal) — 2018, at 19 years and 263 days
Will anyone join the list in 2026? We'll have to wait and see.