Top 10 youngest players to score in Europe's top five leagues in 2022-23

No Premier League youngster features in the list

Teenagers show promise in their early stages, and it’s one thing to look sharp as a youngster, but to turn that promise into an end product is an entirely different development, separating the good from the great. In a bid to do this, when you get your chances and score goals that get people off their seats and win games, If you’re scoring them, you’re well on your way to becoming a special talent.

Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have the most breakout teenagers scoring goals in the top flight this season. Let’s take a look at the top 10 youngest players to score in Europe's top five leagues.

10. Luka Romero (Lazio) - 17 years 11 months 23 days

Since he first came to prominence in his hometown in 2019, Romero has scored 230 goals in 108 games. That ridiculous output made the then-senior team manager, Vicente Moreno, take notice. Luka Romero signed with Mallorca on an eight-year youth deal.

Romero’s debut came on June 16, 2020, at the age of 15 years and 221 days. A 15-year-old has written himself into the history books by becoming the youngest-ever footballer to play in the Spanish top division. He came off the bench for Mallorca in their 2-0 loss to La Liga giants Real Madrid.

The winger, who has drawn comparisons with Lionel Messi, broke an appearance record that was 80 years old. The record was previously held by a footballer named Sanson, who was 15 years and 255 days old when he made his debut for Celta Vigo in 1939.

Now a 17-year-old teenager, his move to Lazio in 2021 is seen as an attempt to secure first-team football at the highest level. He has been in and around the senior squad, appearing six times and scoring one goal this season. He has a lot of promised potential and could be a regular in the coming seasons for the Italian outfit. Moreover, his unique living situation made him eligible to represent all three countries: Mexico, Spain, and Argentina.  

9. Nelson Weiper (Mainz) - 17 years 11 months 7 days

The German international this season has appeared in nine matches, playing for FSV Mainz 05. In the current season, the 1.91-meter-tall forward has scored two goals and takes eighth place within his squad. In terms of total touches, Nelson Weiper had six individual ball possessions. Furthermore, he had two tackle challenges in the last match. He covered a distance of 1.2 km during his total playing time in this game. In doing so, the 18-year-old had a total of two sprints.

Weiper is at the other end of the age spectrum. The teenage forward is Di Salvo's wild card, rewarded all the same for some impressive Bundesliga cameos with Mainz this past season.

He made history as Mainz's youngest player (17 years and 198 days) and goalscorer (17 years and 344 days) against Freiburg (matchday 8) and Gladbach (matchday 22), respectively, while helping the U19s to the league title while contributing to eight goals in as many games.

8. Eliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco) - 17 years 10 months 12 days

His first goal came just 13 minutes into his league debut, as he slotted the ball past the goalkeeper after being played through by Aleksandr Golovin. Ben Seghir only turned 18 at the beginning of this year but already finds himself playing a key role as an attacking midfielder for a quietly impressive Monaco side.

Ben Seghir made a very late substitute appearance in the Europa League in November but has really introduced himself to the world with this brilliant performance against Auxerre. He helped his side to a 3-2 victory over Auxerre in his first Ligue 1 appearance this season by scoring a brace.

Ben Seghir became the second youngest player to score a double for Monaco in Ligue 1, after France legend Thierry Henry. At 17 years and 315 days, Ben Seghir also became the fifth youngest player to score for the club in Ligue 1, behind superstar Kylian Mbappé, Pietro Pellegri, Henry, and Benoît Badiashile, according to Monaco.

7. Wilson Odobert (Troyes) - 17 years 9 months

Taking big decisions at an early age is seen either as arrogant behaviour or a confident mindset, which is the latter for this French individual. Odobert, who only turned 18 in November, boldly rejected a professional contract from Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of 2022 and opted to instead leave the club last summer to sign for Troyes.

In doing so, the teenage winger has already found himself in regular first-team football in a top league, progressing his career much more than if he had stayed in PSG’s youth ranks. The pacy attacker, who moved to Champagne country from Paris Saint-Germain in the close season, is featured regularly under coach Bruno Irles.

His silky skills, direct running, and four goals in 32 matches have helped Troyes climb to the relative comfort of mid-table. The teenager’s goals have contributed to two wins and a draw now, and his coach, Nirles, knows it’ll get harder and harder to keep the club’s secret weapon out of the limelight.

6. Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund) - 17 years 8 months 23 days

Moukoko certainly needs no introduction after a breakout Bundesliga season in which he almost helped Dortmund conquer the title. At barely 18 years old, Moukoko has already demonstrated an incredible eye for goal at all age groups and has stepped up for Dortmund as the next big thing in the season following Erling Haaland’s departure.

That’s not to say he’s been anywhere near as prolific as the Norwegian yet—nobody has, because he’s a machine—but Moukoko has certainly shown why he is so highly rated and already so trusted by manager Edin Terzic.

The 18-year-old striker contributed seven goals and three assists in 26 league outings and would no doubt have featured more if not for an ankle injury in the spring. As well as becoming the youngest player to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances at 18 years and 139 days (he celebrated the occasion in style with the winner against Union Berlin), he featured regularly in BVB's cup competitions and made his senior Germany debut against Oman in November 2022.

5. Moussa Soumano (Ajaccio) - 17 years 6 months 23 days

Another French footballer makes his presence known in French Ligue 1. After making 12 appearances for the B team, Moussa Soumano was promoted to the Ajaccio senior team on January 1, 2023, with squad number 34. In the French Ligue 1 season 2022–23, Moussa Soumano played four matches (plus seven as a sub). They had two shots on target from a total of six shots and scored one goal (0.58 xG). He has averaged five passes per match with a pass completion rate of 62%.

4. Ibrahim Maza (Hertha) - 17 years 6 months 3 days

Coming from the academy ranks of Hertha, he got his chance to play for Hertha BSC. In his debut match, he won 2-1 against VfL Wolfsburg. He was substituted in and played as a midfielder for a total of 45 minutes in this game.

In doing so, the player with shirt number 30 scored one goal. He shot at the opponent's goal a total of one time. In terms of total touches, he had 13 individual ball possessions. Furthermore, he had seven tackle challenges in the last match. Of these, Ibrahim Maza was able to win four. He covered a distance of 6.2 kilometres during his total playing time in this game. In doing so, he had a total of 14 sprints. He saw his team finish last in the league, which might see him get more game time in the lower league and explore his potential to the maximum.

3. Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich) - 17 years 4 months 14 days

The French striker was considered a signing for the future when Die Roten paid a big fee for him last summer. The German club beat competition from other big European clubs to sign Tel from Rennes. The French forward was considered part of the contingency plan to replace Lewandowski.

This season, there have been 22 matches and five goals. In total, Mathys Tel has taken 20 shots at goal. He additionally made seven passes for a shot. He was in the starting lineup in one of the previous 22 games of the season.

The debut season for Tel has been fairly decent. He has shown glimpses of his enormous talent whenever Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel brought him off the bench. The French forward is direct and has a good knack for goals. Tel has scored five goals for Bayern in the Bundesliga during his debut season.

2. Désiré Doué (Rennes) - 17 years 2 months 28 days

Désiré Doué is the first player born in 2005 to score in any of Europe's five major leagues, per the UEFA coefficient. Rennes boasts one of the most impressive youth systems in France, if not the world, with Ousmane Dembélé, Eduardo Camavinga, and Mathys Tel among its recent graduates, and Doué already looks to be on a similar trajectory to that trio, who now line up for Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, respectively.

Doué was handed his Rennes debut on the opening day, replacing Flavien Tait for the final 20 minutes of a 1-0 loss to this season's surprise package, FC Lorient. He has since featured in 34 games since his debut and scored four goals, with some crucial goals coming in the victories against Brest and Nantes.

Doué scored his first Ligue 1 Uber Eats goal in Rennes' 3-1 win over Stade Brestois 29 in Round 5, just two months past his 17th birthday, and bagged his second French top-flight strike in the Derby Breton win over FC Nantes last Sunday. In between those strikes, he also scored the winning goal for Rennes against Dinamo Kyiv in UEFA Europa League Group B, becoming the youngest French scorer in the competition's history at the tender age of 17 years, four months, and four days.

1. Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG) - 16 years 10 months 24 days

With Marco Verratti coming towards the end of his career, there was a worry in the French capital about whether they could replace the Italian maestro, but there might already be someone who could fill his shoes in the future. Still, only 17 and having played 29 games in all competitions this season, Warren Zaire-Emery has already proven himself to be not only a rising star but a full-blown supernova.

In February, Warren Zare-Emery became the youngest ever player to start a Champions League knockout game when he was named in Paris Saint-Germain’s line-up to face Bayern Munich, 23 days short of his 17th birthday. The dynamic midfielder has caught the eye in virtually every performance; that was certainly the case in Montpellier (in Round 22) when he became PSG's youngest-ever goalscorer, aged just 16 years and 330 days.