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  • Sports - Football - Gossips
  • Updated: November 23, 2022

Five Youngest FIFA World Cup Winners In History

Five Youngest FIFA World Cup Winners In History

The FIFA World Cup tournament has been an ideal platform for players to make their presence known.

Young players are not left out and the tournament has been a great stage for these budding stars to showcase their talent. 

For most players, it is a childhood dream to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup, playing on the world stage in front of millions. 

However, it is even more desirable to imagine these players winning the prestigious World Cup.

For some lucky but no doubt exceptionally-talented players, this became a reality. 

Let’s take a closer look at the youngest players in World Cup history to win the prestigious tournament. 

5. Thierry Henry At Age 20

Before Kylian Mbappe became a household name, there was Thierry Henry, who played for a star-studded French team that included Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, and others.

Henry broke into the spotlight with France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup at the age of 20.

However, he did not play in France's 3-0 victory against Brazil in the finals.

He had already done his part, scoring three times in six games. Following that, Henry went on to play for France in the next three World Cups, in 2002, 2006, and 2010.

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Henry was one of the guaranteed starters in the squad.

He played as a lone striker and managed to score seven goals in seven games as France finished runner-up with Italy winning the final on penalties. 

After accumulating 123 appearances and 51 goals, Henry retired from international football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

4. Mbappe At Age 19

With his incredible speed and agility, he appears to be riding a bike on a football field. Kylian Mbappe, 19, made his international debut in the 2018 World Cup final with a second-half goal.

He became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele in 1958, restoring France's crown after a 20-year absence.

Throughout the season, he was one of France's most significant players.

Mbappe's lone goal in the 1-0 triumph over Peru became the 19-year-old the youngest goal scorer in a major event for his country.

France qualified for the knockout stages thanks to the victory as Mbappé scored a brace in five minutes to defeat Argentina's Lionel Messi 4-3 in the round of 16.

Mbappe teleported from being just another 14-year-old to becoming the second-most-expensive move in football history, with PSG paying more than $200 million to get him from Monaco. The rest, as they say, is history.

3. Giuseppe Bergomi At Age 18

Bergomi was chosen for the 1982 World Cup squad by Italian national team coach Enzo Bearzot at the age of 18.

He started the tournament on the bench but did an excellent job defending Socrates and Serginho against Brazil in a historic 3-2 win.

Bergomi's maturity in the semi-final and final wowed everyone.

In the semi-finals, he helped Italy retain a clean sheet against Poland. Bergomi was tasked with marking the then-reigning two-time Ballon D'or winner Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in the final.

He completely took him out of the game as Italy won 3-1, with Bergomi contributing to Marco Tardelli's memorable goal.

Giuseppe Bergomi won the World Cup barely over a year after making his first senior appearance.

He went on to captain his national team to a third-place finish in Mexico four years later.

Bergomi played 81 times for Italy in total and retired in 1999 after spending his entire career with Inter Milan, where he made 756 appearances.

With his prominent moustache, intimidating physique, and mature demeanour, he had earned the nickname 'Uncle.'

2. Ronaldo Nazario At Age 17

Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima ‘The Phenomenon’ was a generational talent. 

He would likely be regarded as the greatest football player in history if not for a string of major knee injuries.

Ronaldo was a member of the Brazil team that won the World Cup in the United States in 1994 when he was 17 years old. He didn't play for even a minute, making it just to the bench.

Between 1994 and 1999, Ronaldo had two outstanding runs at Barcelona (37 goals, 34 games) and PSV, during which he scored an astounding 115 goals in 134 games (46 goals in 42 games).

He had almost 200 goals for club and country by the time he was 23.

He played a significant role in the star-studded Brazilian team that advanced to the final in 1998.

Hours before the game, he had a convulsive fit, yet he still participated.

He suffered a right knee cruciate ligament tear in 2000, which prevented him from participating in Brazil's qualification campaign.

He later scored twice against Germany in the 2002 World Cup final to help Brazil win the tournament.

Ronaldo built a more than respectable football career despite recurring knee ailments, subsequently playing for Los Blancos.

He played 127 games for Real Madrid and scored 83 goals.

1. Pele At Age 17

Pele is arguably the greatest attacking player of the 20th century and the most well-known football player in the sport's history.

In 1958, Brazil defeated Sweden 5-2 in the grand finals at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna, Sweden, when the Brazilian legend was only 17 years and 249 days old.

The Selecao won the World Cup for the first time thanks to two goals from Pele. In many rooms, there is still a poster of a 17-year-old Pele crying in the arms of his teammates after the victory.

Pele was chosen for the World Cup by the manager at the time, Vicente Talo Feola despite his struggles with a knee injury.

Despite being injured during the tournament's early stages, his overall performance was outstanding.

Later, in their quarterfinal victory over Wales, he became the World Cup's youngest-ever goal scorer. Pele scored a hat-trick in Brazil's 5-2 semifinal victory over France, making him the tournament's youngest hat-trick scorer ever.

In 1962, he also triumphed at the World Cup in Chile. After eight years in Mexico, he later went on to win his third World Cup trophy. He is the only player with three World Cup titles.

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