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4 months ago
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Lamal Yamal made European Championship history on Tuesday night when he became the youngest scorer in the competition's history.
The Spain wonderkid, aged just 16 years and 362 days, broke that record in style by finding the net with a stunning long-range strike against France.
It arrived 21 minutes into Tuesday's Euro 2024 semi-final after Randal Kolo Muani had earlier headed France in front.
Before bending the ball into the top corner of Mike Maignan's net, Yamal dazzled France midfielder Adrien Rabiot with some fine footwork.
This came just a day after Rabiot has told reporters that Yamal needed to raise his game in order to trouble Les Bleus.
Lamal Yamal, 16 years and 362 days, is the youngest scorer in European Championship history
Yamal's long-range goal for Spain against France came after he skinned Adrien Rabiot (left)
French midfielder Rabiot, 29, had spoken about Yamal in the build-up to Tuesday's game
Rabiot said of Yamal on Monday: 'We saw that he was a player who knew how to handle pressure very well. He has a lot of qualities. He is capable of playing with his qualities at club level as well as in major tournaments, without pressure.
'Afterwards, it is always complicated to manage a semi-final in a tournament like that, but it will be up to us to put the pressure on him above all, not to let him feel comfortable and to show him that to play in a Euro final, he will have to do much more than what he has done so far.'
Yamal responded by writing on Instagram: 'Move in silence. Only speak when it's time to say checkmate.'
Prior to Yamal, Switzerland's Johan Vonlanthen had held the record as the youngest scorer at a men's European Championship.
Vonlanthen was aged 18 years and 141 days when he found the net at Euro 2004, also against France.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney - who scored for England against Switzerland 237 days after his 18th birthday in 2004 - has now dropped down to third place on the list.
YOUNGEST EUROS SCORERS
1. Lamine Yamal 16 years 362 days (Spain v France, 09/07/2024)
2. Johan Vonlanthen 18 years 141 days (Switzerland 1-3 France, 21/06/2004)
3. Wayne Rooney 18 years 237 days (England 3-0 Switzerland, 17/06/2004)
4. Renato Sanches 18 years 317 days (Poland 1-1 Portugal, 30/06/2016)
5. Dragan Stojković 19 days 108 days (France 3-2 Yugoslavia, 19/06/1984)
6. Arda Güler 19 years 114 days (Türkiye 3-1 Georgia, 18/06/2024)
7. Cristiano Ronaldo 19 years 128 days (Portugal 1-2 Greece, 12/06/2004)
8. Ferenc Bene 19 years 183 days (Spain 2-1 Hungary, 17/06/1964)
9. Cristian Chivu 19 years 238 days (England 2-3 Romania, 20/06/2000)
10. Patrick Kluivert 19 years 353 days (Netherlands 1-4 England, 18/06/1996)
Yamal's record-breaking strike was the fourth of the teenager's senior international career
Tuesday's wonder-strike took Yamal's tally of senior international goals to four, having netted three in his previous 12 appearances for La Roja.
The winger plays his club football for Barcelona and is a product of the club's famous La Masia academy.
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