According to FIFA, Pelé remains the youngest player to win the FIFA World Cup, lifting the trophy at just 17 years old in 1958.
Germany | By Sayer Zaland
Winning the FIFA World Cup has often been associated with experience and longevity, but history shows that some of the game’s greatest names lifted football’s biggest prize at a remarkably young age.
At the top of the list stands Pelé, who won the 1958 FIFA World Cup with Brazil at 17 years and 249 days, a record that still stands more than six decades later. Pelé not only featured in the tournament but scored twice in the final against Sweden, sealing his place in football history.
Brazil dominate the list, reflecting the country’s long tradition of introducing elite talent at an early age, while World Cup-winning squads from Europe and South America feature several teenage and early-twenties players who contributed in different capacities, from key starters to squad members.
Modern football is represented by Kylian Mbappé, who won the 2018 World Cup with France at 19 years and 207 days, becoming the youngest scorer in a World Cup final since Pelé.
Below is the Top 10 youngest FIFA World Cup-winning players, ranked by age at the time of the final:
Top 10 Youngest World Cup Winners
Pelé – 17 years, 249 days (Brazil, 1958)
Ronaldo – 17 years, 298 days (Brazil, 1994)
Giuseppe Bergomi – 18 years, 174 days (Italy, 1982)
Coutinho – 19 years, 6 days (Brazil, 1962)
Marco Antônio – 19 years, 135 days (Brazil, 1970)
Kylian Mbappé – 19 years, 207 days (France, 2018)
Mazzola – 19 years, 309 days (Brazil, 1958)
Ruben Moran – 19 years, 344 days (Uruguay, 1950)
Felice Borel – 20 years, 66 days (Italy, 1934)
Kaká – 20 years, 69 days (Brazil, 2002)
While some players on the list played leading roles and others featured sparingly, each remains part of World Cup history, showing that football’s biggest stage has never been closed to youth.