Winning a FIFA World Cup is one of the hardest things in football. Most players wait years for a chance, and many never get it at all. That’s why it’s pretty amazing when someone wins it as a teenager or before turning 20. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, those players usually become part of football history.
However, there are a few players who defied the odds and not only made it to the world’s biggest stage, but they also ended up winning the FIFA World Cup. That said, in this piece, we will take a look at a few such names.
Youngest FIFA World Cup winners
Pelé – 17 years and 249 days
Still the youngest ever. He won it with Brazil in 1958 and even scored in the final. At that age, most players are just starting out, but he was already dominating on the biggest stage.
Ronaldo Nazário – 17 years and 298 days
He was part of Brazil’s 1994 squad. However, it is worth noting that he didn’t play in the tournament, but being included at 17 already showed how highly he was rated.
Giuseppe Bergomi – 18 years and 174 days
Bergomi played in Italy’s 1982 World Cup-winning team. At the young age of 18, many crumble under pressure, but he handled himself really well in defense.
Coutinho – 19 years and 6 days
He was a part of Brazil’s 1962 team. While he is not a very famous name today, he is still part of a winning squad at a young age.
Marco Antônio – 19 years and 135 days
He was in the 1970 Brazil team, which many people consider one of the best teams ever.
Kylian Mbappé – 19 years and 207 days
Mbappé stood out in the 2018 World Cup. He even scored in the final and played a big role in France winning it. What’s interesting is the fact that he almost won it for France in his second World Cup as well, back in 2022.
That concludes our list of the youngest players to win the FIFA World Cup. With the tournament happening this year, we can expect to witness another young player to lift the trophy.
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