Luka Modric
BERLIN: AFP Sport looks back at some of the records that fell over the last month at Euro 2024:
Lamine Yamal – youngest player and scorer
Spain teenage sensation Lamine Yamal made history in his country’s opening game against Croatia by becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a European Championship game at the age of 16 years and 338 days.
In doing so he beat the previous record held by beat Poland’s Kacper Kozlowski, who was 17 years and 246 days old when he appeared at Euro 2020.
Yamal, of Barcelona, then claimed another piece of history by becoming the youngest player ever to score a goal at the Euros in Spain’s 2-1 semi-final win against France, at the age of 16 years and 362 days.
Pepe the oldest player
At the other end of the scale, Portugal defender Pepe claimed the record for the oldest player ever at a European Championship when he took to the field in his team’s opening game against the Czech Republic at the age of 41.
He was 41 years and 130 days old by the time he appeared in the quarter-final against France – an age at which almost every footballer has long since retired.
The Porto centreback passed the previous mark set by Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, who was 40 years and 86 days old when he played against Belgium at Euro 2016.
Modric the oldest scorer
Luka Modric became the tournament’s oldest goalscorer when he netted in Croatia’s final game, a 1-1 draw against Italy.
Modric was 38 years and 289 days old, breaking the record set by Austrian Ivica Vastic in 2008 by 32 days.
Croatia were eliminated in the group stage, meaning that game is set to also go down as Modric’s last ever at the tournament.
Ronaldo’s sixth Euros
At 39, Cristiano Ronaldo had been hoping to claim the oldest goalscorer record for himself, but he failed to add to his all-time tournament best tally of 14 goals on Portugal’s run to the quarter-finals, notably missing a penalty against Slovenia in the last 16.
Ronaldo did, however, claim other records. Having first appeared at the tournament in 2004, Ronaldo competed at an unprecedented sixth European Championship in Germany, and has now made a total of 30 appearances, at least seven more than any other player.
The fastest goal for Bajrami
Albania’s Nedim Bajrami netted the fastest ever goal at a European Championship when he put his side ahead after just 23 seconds in their opening game against Italy.
Bajrami pulverised the previous Euros record for the quickest goal of 67 seconds by Dmitri Kirichenko of Russia against Greece in 2004.
However, his team went on to lose the game 2-1.
Merih Demiral of Turkiye later scored the second-fastest goal by finding the net against Austria in the last 16 after just 57 seconds. — AFP
