When Spain take on Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, much of the spotlight will fall on Lionel Messi and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. But beyond the battle for football’s biggest prize, Yamal will also enter one of the sport’s most exclusive record books.
At 19, the Barcelona winger is set to become one of the youngest players ever to appear in a FIFA World Cup final. Alongside fellow Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, he will join a list dominated by football legends, although one remarkable record, held by Brazil icon Pele for nearly seven decades, remains out of reach.
Pele’s World Cup final record still stands
Pele remains the youngest player ever to feature in a FIFA World Cup final.
The Brazilian was just 17 years and 249 days old when he started against hosts Sweden in the 1958 final. He marked the occasion with two goals as Brazil won 5-2 to lift their first World Cup title, becoming the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final, a record that still stands today.
Despite generations of teenage prodigies emerging since, no player has managed to eclipse Pele’s achievement.
Bergomi and Mbappe follow the Brazilian legend
The second-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final is former Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi.
Bergomi was 18 years and 174 days old when he helped Italy beat West Germany in the 1982 final, beginning what would become one of the country’s finest international careers.
Third on the list is France captain Kylian Mbappé.
Mbappé was 19 years and 207 days old during France’s triumph over Croatia in the 2018 final, where he also scored to become the youngest player to find the net in a World Cup final since Pelé. Four years later, he became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since 1966, although France lost to Argentina on penalties.
Yamal and Cubarsí enter football’s elite list
Spain’s qualification for the 2026 final means both Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi will join this elite group before celebrating their 20th birthdays.
Yamal has emerged as one of world football’s brightest attacking talents since breaking into Barcelona’s first team, while Cubarsí has established himself as one of Europe’s most composed young defenders despite his age.
Having two teenagers feature in the same World Cup final is a rarity and underlines Spain’s successful transition to a new generation after years of rebuilding following disappointing campaigns at recent World Cups.
A full-circle moment with Lionel Messi
The final also brings one of football’s most extraordinary stories back into focus.
In 2007, during a UNICEF charity calendar shoot organised by Barcelona, a teenage Lionel Messi posed for photographs with several babies. One of them was a four-month-old Lamine Yamal.
The image, captured by photographer Joan Monfort, resurfaced during Euro 2024 after Yamal’s father shared it on social media, quickly becoming one of football’s most iconic photographs.
Nearly two decades later, Messi and Yamal will line up on opposite sides in a FIFA World Cup final.
Messi himself recently described the coincidence as “insane”, saying he never imagined the baby from that photoshoot would one day become his opponent on football’s biggest stage.
Youngest players to appear in a FIFA World Cup final
| Rank | Player | Country | World Cup | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pele | Brazil | 1958 vs Sweden | 17 years, 249 days |
| 2 | Giuseppe Bergomi | Italy | 1982 vs West Germany | 18 years, 174 days |
| 3 | Kylian Mbappe | France | 2018 vs Croatia | 19 years, 207 days |
| 4 | Lamine Yamal | Spain | 2026 vs Argentina | 19 years |
| 5 | Pau Cubarsí | Spain | 2026 vs Argentina | 19 years |
History awaits
Pele’s record as the youngest player to appear in a World Cup final will remain intact regardless of Sunday’s result. But Yamal and Cubarsí will still write their own piece of football history by joining one of the most exclusive clubs in the game.
For Yamal in particular, the final offers another chance to cement his status as football’s brightest young star, even if one legendary record still belongs to Pele.
