Lowest age holder to score in the Champions League's annals?
In a historic moment for football, Portuguese legend Pepe has become the oldest field player to score a goal in the Champions League. At the age of 40 years and 254 days, Pepe surpassed the record set by Norwegian attacker Willy Olsen, who scored at 39 years, 7 months, and 6 days in a match played in 1960.
This record-breaking goal came during a FC Porto victory against Royal Antwerp. Pepe is not the youngest scorer in the Champions League under its current name, that title goes to Ansu Fati of AS Monaco, who scored at 17 years, 1 month, and 9 days against Inter Milan in December 2019.
Pepe's achievement places him among an elite group of players who have scored a goal in the Champions League, including Manfred Burgsmüller, Gordon Smith, Ferenc Puskás, and Francisco Totti. However, he is the oldest among them all.
The Champions League, then known as the European Cup of Champions Clubs, was the competition where Olsen's record was set. Interestingly, Pepe improved his record the following month, scoring at 40 years, 9 months, and 17 days during a win against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Youssoufa Moukoko and Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, are making history as the youngest players to have entered the game in the Champions League. Moukoko is the youngest player to have entered a Champions League game without scoring a goal, while Yamal came close to Pepe's record, scoring at 17 years, 2 months, and 6 days in September 2024.
In November 2023, Pepe's record-breaking goal marked a significant milestone in the history of the Champions League, as it was the oldest goal scored by a field player in the competition since Italian Francesco Totti in November 2014.
Marco Ballotta, Gianluigi Buffon, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, Mark Schwarzer, and Pepe are among the oldest players to have entered a Champions League game. Celestine Babayaro, Rayan Cherki, and Alen Halilović are among the youngest.
Notable players such as Nii Lamptey, János Radics, and Włodzimierz Lubanski, who scored with Górnik Zabrze at just 16 years, 8 months, and 16 days against Dukla Prague in the European Cup of Champions Clubs, have also made their mark in the history of the Champions League.
Pepe's record-breaking goal not only showcases his enduring talent but also serves as a testament to the timeless beauty of football. As the Champions League continues to evolve, it is clear that the spirit of competition and the pursuit of greatness remain at its core.
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