Top five youngest goalscorers for Lyon in the 21st century

Lyon have produced many top stars in their history.

One of the top clubs in Ligue 1, Lyon, were one of the most dominant clubs in the league before Paris Saint-Germain’s supremacy took over. During their dominance era, they produced many talented players who shone at the top level, while the club continue to produce more such players.

However, some of the players have set specific distinctions at the club even though they aren’t part of the club anymore. In this piece, we take a look at their youngest goal scorers in the 21st century.

Top youngest goalscorers for Lyon in the 21st century

5. Karim Benzema – 17 years, 11 months & 17 days

Karim Benzema, who was predicted to be phenomenal from a young age, started his playing career at Lyon. There, he established himself as one of the talented players before making a big move to Real Madrid. In Madrid, he cemented himself as one of the best strikers in Europe.

During his time at Lyon, the striker set new records, becoming one of the youngest goal scorers in Lyon history on December 6, 2005, which stood for decades before it was broken by another Lyon player.

4. Remi Himbert – 17 years & 11 months

17-year-old Rémi Himbert scored his first professional goal for Olympique Lyonnais against PAOK in the Europa League, marking his first senior appearance. PAOK scored first in the 20th minute, and Himbert levelled at 1-1 in the 33rd.

Following his goal, Himbert set a new record and broke their former star record. At 17 years and 334 days, he became their youngest European scorer, beating Karim Benzema’s previous record.

3. Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez – 17 years, 10 months & 18 days

Before becoming well-known on the international scene with the young Three Lions, Gomes Rodriguez excelled in Southampton’s academy during the previous few years. The attacker joined Lyon last season after leaving Southampton, but he has only made five appearances for the senior team.

He has mostly played for the youth team, but his breakthrough came when he scored a goal in their Europa League match against PAOK, making him one of their youngest goal scorers in the twenty-first century.

2. Hatem Ben Arfa – 17 years, 8 months & 3 days

Ben Arfa’s career commenced in the Île-de-France region, where he trained in Boulogne-Billancourt and Versailles. He was accepted to the Clairefontaine Academy in 1999.

He played there for three years before moving to Lyon, where he won four Ligue 1 titles. He started at Lyon as a winger before switching to a striker role in the 2007–08 campaign. He was one of the gifted young players who set numerous records and became one of the youngest goal scorers during his four years at Lyon.

1. Rayan Cherki – 16 years, 4 months & 18 days

Rayan Cherki began his football career at Lyon. The forward honed his football qualities at the youth side of the club, where he cemented himself as the next prodigy. Following his performance, he was elevated to the senior side where he only solidified his position as one of their best player.

Following his six years at the club, the Frenchman left the team to join Manchester City. However, he remains Lyon’s youngest goalscorer in the 21st century.

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