AT JUST 15, MAX DOWMAN SMASHES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AGE RECORD FOR ARSENAL

At 15 years and 308 days, Arsenal's Max Dowman is the youngest player in Champions League history. He broke the record in a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague, surpassing Youssoufa Moukoko. Discover the top 5 youngest players ever.

At Just 15, Max Dowman Smashes Champions League Age Record for Arsenal
Dowman will turn 16 on New Year’s Eve (REUTERS/David W Cerny)

Max Dowman of Arsenal is now the youngest player to ever play in the Champions League.

He became the first 15-year-old to play in the competition when he came off the bench in Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague.

He smashed the record set by Youssoufa Moukoko of Borussia Dortmund, who participated in the competition between the ages of 16 and 18 years, at the age of 15 years and 308 days.

These five players, some of whom you may recognise, are the youngest in the competition.

Max Dowman


ARSENAL v. Slavia Prague, November 2025: 15 years, 308 days

On Tuesday, Dowman replaced Leandro Trossard, making Champions League history outright. He was the second-youngest player in Premier League history, only surpassed by teammate Ethan Nwaneri. The Premier League's youngest goalscorer record, held by James Vaughan at 16 years and 270 days, can be broken by Dowman, who will turn 16 on New Year's Eve.

Moukoko Youssoufa


16 years, 18 days in Zenit St. Petersburg v. Borussia Dortmund, December 2020

Moukoko, who was already a Germany Under-16 international, established the record for the youngest player in the Champions League when he replaced Felix Passlack shortly before the hour. Despite being the Bundesliga's youngest player and top scorer, he left Dortmund in August 2024, first going on loan to Nice before joining FC Copenhagen permanently this season.

Yamal Lamine


Royal Antwerp v. Barcelona, September 2023: 16 years, 68 days

In a 5-0 victory over the Belgian team, the young wonder from Barcelona and Spain made his tournament debut by replacing Joao Felix in the second half. He made ten appearances in the competition that season, but he was unable to unseat fellow Barcelona star Ansu Fati as the youngest goalscorer. Instead, he finished second on the list by scoring against Monaco one year before his debut.

Babayaro Celestine


November 1994: Steaua Bucharest v. ANDERLECHT, 16 years, 86 days

Before being defeated by Moukoko, Babayaro held the record for being the youngest player for just over 26 years. However, it was not a happy occasion, as he was sent off during the first half of a 1-1 draw in Romania. The full-back went on to achieve more success, playing Premier League football with Chelsea and Newcastle and collecting international awards with Nigeria.

Cherki Rayan


November 2019: Zenit St. Petersburg v. Lyon, 16 years, 102 days

For his 2019 debut at Europe's top table, Cherki, a recent acquisition and rising talent for Manchester City this season, took Maxwel Cornet's place, another potential Premier League player. After starting off the bench in that season's semi-final loss to Bayern Munich, he also had an unlucky start after losing 2-0 to Zenit. He did not play again until he joined City.

ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION

Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.

top-news
Arsenal Bag Extra £15.9m Prize Money After Historic Champions League Semifinal - Photo Credit: PA

Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.

Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.

From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.

That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.

By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.

They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.

Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.

It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.

Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.

PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.

Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.

JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL

Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.

top-news
Oblak Demands Mentality Shift At Atletico After Crashing Out To Arsenal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.

Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”

He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”

On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”

Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”

At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a

Read More News