By: Jeremy Sun

The Euro Cup Finals, held every four years in different European countries, is the final match of the UEFA European Championship to find the best national football team. The two top teams compete for the Henri Delaunay Trophy, showcasing their skills and uniting fans. In this year’s finals, there were numerous young players, including players that are still in high school!

Cole Palmer, a midfielder for the Chelsea Soccer Club of England, played in the Euro Cup Finals at a young age of 22. Cole Palmer has had an impressive first season with Chelsea after moving from Manchester City last September. In 33 league games, he scored 22 goals and made 11 assists, earning him the Premier League Young Player of the Season award. He also scored his first goal for England during his debut international start against Bosnia-Herzegovina in an Euro 2024 warm-up match earlier this month.

Lamine Yamal is a forward for the Barcelona Soccer Club of Spain and played in the Euro Cup Finals at just the age of 16, making him the youngest player to play in the men’s Euro! Yamal is widely regarded as one of the most promising young talents in world football, setting numerous records at both club and national levels. He debuted for Barcelona at 15 and became the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history at 16 years and 87 days old.

Arda Güler, a 19 year old midfielder for the soccer club Real Madrid, participated in the Euro Cup. Güler, nicknamed the ‘Turkish Messi’ for becoming his country’s youngest goalscorer, joined Real Madrid in 2023 after drawing interest from clubs like Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris St-Germain. His skill in different attacking positions and impressive close control and dribbling make him a player to watch this summer.

These are just a few of the youngest soccer players to ever play, as there are many other very young players!