Max Dowman surpasses Lamine Yamal’s record as the youngest player in Champions League knockout stages.

Max Dowman of Arsenal has set a record as the youngest player to participate in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League, surpassing Lamine Yamal.

At merely 16 years and 97 days old, Dowman entered the match as a substitute in the 76th minute during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Sporting, and he was present on the field when Kai Havertz netted a last-minute goal for the Gunners in the first leg of this quarterfinal matchup.

Yamal was 16 years and 223 days old when he played for Barcelona against Napoli in a 1-1 draw in February 2024.

Dowman is already drawing parallels to the young forward from Spain and Barcelona. Both are among the most discussed teenagers in global football, and in November, Arsenal and Spain goalkeeper David Raya remarked to ESPN:

“They share a similarity in that they seem to relish every moment on the pitch and consistently play with joy.

“It appears as though they are playing in a schoolyard. They go out there to play and have fun.”

The young midfielder, who is also capable of playing as a winger, has been setting multiple records this season — in March, he became the youngest scorer in Premier League history with a stunning stoppage-time goal against Everton.

Dowman had previously made history as the youngest player in Champions League history when he played for Arsenal against Slavia Prague at the age of 15 years and 308 days.

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Additionally, earlier this season, he became the youngest player to start a match for Arsenal and the youngest to appear for the north London club in the FA Cup.

The 16-year-old talent has a pre-agreement to sign his first professional contract with Arsenal in December, coinciding with his 17th birthday.