Youngest starter in UCL history: Barcelona winger breaks ex-Chelsea star Babayaro's 29-year-old record

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal set a new UEFA Champions League record when he started for the La Liga giants against Porto at the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday night. 

Aged 16 years and 83 days yesterday, Yamal set a new record as the youngest player to start a Champions League game, surpassing ex-Chelsea left-back Celestine Babayaro in the process. 

Babayaro's Champions League record stood for approximately 29 years and it was set during his Anderlecht days, precisely November 23, 1994, when he started for the Belgian side in a 1-1 draw with Steaua Bucharest.

The Super Eagles legend was aged 16 years and 86 days, meaning Yamal broke Babayaro's record by only three days. 

Babayaro set an unwanted record in Anderlecht's draw with the Romanian side as he became the youngest player to be sent off in the Champions League in the 37th minute of the encounter. 

On the opening matchday of the Champions League, Yamal overtook Babayaro as the second youngest player to feature in the competition when he came of the bench against Antwerp, aged 16 years and 68 days, but he cannot surpass the record holder Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko, who was 16 years and 18 days when he made his debut off the bench. 

Overall, Babayaro made sixteen appearances in the UEFA Champions League with fifteen in the colours of Chelsea. 

Top 5 youngest players to start a Champions League game

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) - 16 years and 83 days
Celestine Babayaro (Anderlecht) - 16 years and 86 days
Youri Tielemans (Anderlecht) - 16 years and 148 days
Ansu Fati (Barcelona) - 16 years and 321 days
Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht) - 16 years and 326 days

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit : chelseafc.com

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