How Lamine Yamal's first World Cup win at age 19 compares to Pele, Ronaldo and other soccer legends

How Lamine Yamal's first World Cup win at age 19 compares to Pele, Ronaldo and other soccer legends originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>When the final whistle blew at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, two bits of history happened simultaneously. First, of course, Spain won its second World Cup. Along with that, Lamine Yamal became one of the five youngest winners in World Cup history.

>It's not common for history to be made in an athletic competition that has spanned almost 100 years, yet La Roja's phenom has managed to do so. He's no stranger to breaking records due to his youth, but fans should enjoy it while he's still considered young.

>At the next World Cup, Lamine Yamal will be 22 years old, turning 23 during the tournament. Along with that, the 2026 defending champions will play on their home pitches in Spain.

>Here's how Lamine Yamal's latest World Cup win stacks up among soccer's youngest-ever winners.

>WORLD CUP FINAL HQ: Live Spain vs. Argentina player ratings | Halftime show updates | Messi tracker

Youngest players to win a World CupOn July 19, 2026, Lamine Yamal became one of the youngest players to ever have the pleasure of lifting a World Cup. Oddly enough, the Spanish youngster tied a Brazilian player to the exact day of age on this list.

>Here are the youngest players to ever hoist a World Cup.

RankPlayerAgeCountry1.Pele17 years and 249 daysBrazil2.Ronaldo17 years and 298 daysBrazil3.Giuseppe Bergomi18 years and 174 daysItalyT4Coutinho19 years and 6 daysBrazilT4Lamine Yamal19 years and 6 daysSpain6.Marco Antonio19 years and 135 daysBrazil7.Pau Cubarsi19 years and 178 daysSpain8.Kylian Mbappe19 years and 207 daysFrance9.Mazzola19 years and 309 daysBrazil10.Ruben Moran19 years and 344 daysUruguayMORE: Complete highlights of Spain's victory against Argentina

1st: Pele - 17 years and 249 daysAt the 1958 World Cup, Pele became the youngest player to win a World Cup at 17 years and 249 days. His Brazilian squad downed host nation Sweden 5-2 in the final, with the youngster scoring a second-half double.

>Throughout the tournament, Pele made four appearances and scored six goals. Here is a video outlining his famous outing at the 1958 final.

2nd: Ronaldo (Brazil) - 17 years and 298 daysThe second-youngest player to win a World Cup also came from Brazil. Ronaldo, who fans also call Ronaldo Nazario to avoid confusion with Cristiano Ronaldo, was an active member of the champion Brazil. His side defeated Italy 3-2 in a penalty shootout after their match ended scoreless during the 1994 final.

>While he was a part of the squad, Ronaldo never made an appearance on the pitch. He was 17 years and 298 days old when his country won the World Cup.

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3rd: Giuseppe Bergomi - 18 years and 174 daysItalian defender Giuseppe Bergomi ranks as the third-youngest World Cup winner at 18 years and 174 days old. Gli Azzurri defeated West Germany 3-1 at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

>With defenders often not appearing on the scoresheet, Bergomi remained goalless through his three appearances.

T4: Coutinho - 19 years and 6 daysJust four years after fellow Brazilian Pele became the youngest-ever champion at the World Cup, Coutinho made history at 19 years and six days old. At the 1962 competition in Chile, Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1.

>Coutinho also did not make an appearance for Brazil throughout the tournament and was a forward.

T4: Lamine Yamal - 19 years and 6 daysThe most recent addition to this list is Lamine Yamal. Spain's youngster matched Coutinho's age to the exact day, being 19 years and six days old at the time of lifting a World Cup trophy. At the 2026 World Cup final in East Rutherford, N.J., Lamine Yamal's La Roja side downed defending champion Argentina 1-0 in extra time.

>In eight appearances with Spain, Lamine Yamal provided one goal for his country.

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6th: Marco Antonio – 19 years and 135 daysMarco Antonio wrote his name in the FIFA history books at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. At 19 years and 135 days old, he became one of Brazil's youngest players to win a World Cup. His squad defeated Italy 4-1.

>Through two appearances as a defender, he did not score a goal for A Selecao.

7th: Pau Cubarsi – 19 years and 178 daysAlongside Lamine Yamal at the 2026 World Cup, Pau Cubarsi also became one of the youngest players to ever win a World Cup, and La Roja's second-youngest behind his teammate. His Spanish side was victorious 1-0 over Argentina.

>Through eight appearances as a defender, Cubarsi did not manage to write his name on the scoresheet.

8th: Kylian Mbappe – 19 years and 207 daysBefore Cubarsi took his seventh-place spot, Kylian Mbappe sat in the spot at 19 years and 207 days old at the time he won the 2018 World Cup with France. His stellar French squad was able to down Croatia 4-2 at World Cup, along with Mbappe introducing himself to the world as one of the competition's best players.

>Through seven appearances in 2018, Mbappe scored four times for Les Bleus.

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How old is Lamine Yamal?Lamine Yamal is 19 years old, according to Transfermarkt. He was born on July 13, 2007, in Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.

>The youngster made his Spanish national team debut on September 7, 2023.