Often hailed as one of the most prestigious and popular football tournaments in the world, the FIFA World Cup is followed by millions of football aficionados from all over the world. The star-studded history of the FIFA World Cup, which dates back to 1930, has witnessed numerous legendary captains, including Franz Beckenbauer, Didier Deschamps, and Lionel Messi and many others who have successfully led their teams to a sensational streak of victories at the FIFA World Cup. Interestingly, a few of these trailblazing captains have left millions of fans stunned after leading their national teams to spine-chilling victories at the World Cup at a very young age. Have you ever wondered about the top four youngest FIFA winning captains? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four youngest winning captains of the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup : Top 4 Youngest Winning Captains
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Daniel Passarella, Argentina – 25 Years and 30 Days
The legendary Argentine former footballer and manager Daniel Passarella is at the first spot in our list of the top four youngest winning captains in the history of the World Cup. Often regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all-time, Daniel Passarella captained the Argentine national football team to a spine-chilling victory at the 1978 World Cup at the age of 25 years and 30 days, establishing himself as the youngest World Cup winning captain as of September 2025.
Daniel Passarella scored a match-winning goal against France in the finals and led his nation to a memorable victory. Additionally, Daniel Passarella was also a crucial member of the Argentine national football team which clinched the 1986 World Cup.
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Bobby Moore, England – 25 Years and 109 Days
At the second spot in our list of the top four youngest winning captains of the FIFA World Cup, we have the iconic English former professional football player Bobby Moore, who is often hailed as one of the greatest defenders in the history of the game.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential football players of all-time, Bobby Moore captained the England national football team at the 1996 World Cup. While the majority of football aficionados from all over the world anticipated West Germany to defeat England at the 1996 World Cup, the English squad led by Bobby Moore fought against the odds and defeated West Germany to clinch their maiden FIFA World Cup title in 1996.
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Diego Maradona, Argentina – 25 Years and 252 Days
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four youngest winning captains in the history of the FIFA World Cup we have the legendary Argentina former professional football player Diego Maradona who also served as a successful football manager.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all-time, Diego Maradona captained the Argentine national football team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup and defeated West Germany with a dominating score of 3-2 to clinch his maiden World Cup title as a captain at the age of twenty-five years and 252 days which also established him as the third-youngest World Cup winning captain as of September 2025. Diego Maradona earned enormous fame and recognition for his successful exploits throughout the 1986 World Cup including his infamous “Hand of God” goal.
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Carlos Alberto, Brazil – 25 Years and 339 Days
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four youngest winning captains of the FIFA World Cup, we have the legendary Brazilian former international football player Carlos Alberto, who played as an attacking midfielder throughout his international football career which lasted from 2003 to 2005. Carlos Alberto was selected as the captain of the Brazilian national football team at the 1970 World Cup.
Although initially the fans were a bit too sceptical about Carlos Alberto’s captaincy stint, he fearlessly led the Brazilian national squad to a spine-chilling victory after defeating Italy with a commanding score of 4-1 in the finals, clinching his maiden World Cup title as a skipper at the age of 25 years and 339 days ranking him at the fourth spot in our list.
