5 Youngest Players Who Have Won the UEFA Champions League

Winning the UEFA Champions League is difficult at any age. Doing it as a teenager is even rarer. Over the long history of the competition, only a handful of players have lifted the trophy before turning 20. These players were not just squad fillers. They played real roles in title-winning teams and handled pressure far beyond their years.

Here are the five youngest players to win the UEFA Champions League, ranked by age on the night of the final.

Youngest Champions League Winners (Ranked)

Rank	Player	Club	Final Year	Age at Final
1	Antonio Simões	Benfica	1962	18 years, 139 days
2	Nwankwo Kanu	Ajax	1995	18 years, 296 days
3	Patrick Kluivert	Ajax	1995	18 years, 327 days
4	Brian Kidd	Manchester United	1968	19 years, 0 days
5	Iker Casillas	Real Madrid	2000	19 years, 4 days

1. Antonio Simões (Benfica)

The youngest player to win the Champions League title ever is still Antonio Simões. He was just 18 when he won the trophy with Benfica in 1962. Back then, the Portuguese club was one of the strongest teams in Europe, and Simões was already a reliable first-team player.

His success is really more impressive than that of his contemporaries because there were fewer substitutions and less squad rotation at that time. Young players had to rely purely on their talent and Simões proved to be very talented indeed.

2. Nwankwo Kanu (Ajax)

Nwankwo Kanu was a student at Ajax’s famous 1995 team which had beaten AC Milan in the final. Though he was a substitution, he was just 18 and already playing at the very top level of European football professionally.

The Dutch club was made up of young talents and Kanu’s Champs League victory was the beginning of a long and bright career which later had him play in England and Italy.

3. Patrick Kluivert (Ajax)

Patrick Kluivert was not only the winner of the Champions League in 1995 but also the one who scored the ultimate goal in the final against AC Milan. He was just 18 years old when he became the youngest player to score in a Champions League final.

His goal was the match winner and it also confirmed Ajax’s victory. Very few youngsters in Football history have performed at such a high level.

4. Brian Kidd (Manchester United)

Brian Kidd celebrated his 19th birthday by lifting the Champions League trophy with Manchester United in 1968. He had not only played but scored as well in the final against Benfica, thus making his feat even more extraordinary.

In spite of his brief career of just one major trophy, Kidd’s Champions League success remains one of the most outstanding teenage moments in the history of the competition.

5. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)

Iker Casillas won his first Champions League title in 2000 just four days after his 19th birthday. He was the starting goalkeeper in the final and did not concede any goal as Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0.

This triumph was the beginning of Casillas’s legendary career. He later won several Champions League titles, league trophies, and international major honours.

Winning the Champions League as a teenager shows more than talent. It shows trust from managers, mental strength, and the ability to perform under pressure. Many young players debut early, but very few are good enough to win Europe’s biggest club trophy before turning 20.

Even today, despite more young players breaking through, Antonio Simões’ record still stands.

                                               

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