Youngest players to start a World Cup final: Where Lamine Yamal ranks among teenaged FIFA finalists

The 2026 World Cup final features one of soccer's oldest stars against one of its youngest.

While Lionel Messi will be looking to lead Argentina to a second straight trophy after a collection of high-intensity matches in the knockout stage, Lamine Yamal has a chance to lead Spain back to World Cup glory as a teenager.

Yamal hasn't entirely been the engine of Spain's World Cup success, but he's still one of his squad's most productive players — and in the tournament's final game, he'll be making history as one of the youngest starters ever.

Here's a look at where Yamal will rank among the youngest World Cup final participants ever.

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Youngest players to start World Cup final 

When Yamal takes the pitch for Spain on Sunday, he will become the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup final ever.

The 19-year-old will trail only Pele, who was 17 during Brazil's 1958 World Cup win, and Italy's Giuseppe Bergomi, who was 18 for the 1982 World Cup final.

Yamal, however, isn't the only Spain player slated to join the list. Pau Cubarsi is also 19 years old, set to join the top-five youngest final participants.

Here's a look at the youngest World Cup final players:

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Pele, 1958

One player remains the gold standard for stardom at a young age in soccer, and arguably all of professional sports: Pele.

There may never be a phenom quite like Pele, who began playing for Brazil's national team at age 16 and won his first World Cup title at 17 in 1958. He has remained the youngest player to win a World Cup in the decades since, and Pele also led Brazil to the trophy in the 1962 and 1970 tournaments.

In the 1958 final vs. Sweden, Pele scored two goals in Brazil's dominant 5-2 victory. He finished that World Cup with six goals in four matches.

Giuseppe Bergomi, 1982

One of the greatest Italian defenders ever, Giuseppe Bergomi, got an early start with the national team, making his first World Cup appearance at age 18 in the 1982 tournament. Italy went on to win it all, and Bergomi was a member of the team that beat West Germany 3-1 in the final.

Bergomi also became the youngest Italian player ever to have appeared at a World Cup in 1982.

Lamine Yamal, 2026

Just days removed from his 19th birthday, Yamal will take the pitch for the 2026 World Cup final, with Spain facing Argentina.

Already regarded as one of the best players in the world, Yamal won the Ballon d'Or at age 17, becoming the youngest player ever to win it, and has received the Kopa Trophy twice.

While Yamal's scoring impact hasn't been as key to Spain's World Cup success, he'll have a chance to join the youngest scorers ever in a World Cup final.

MORE: 26 thoughts on the '26 World Cup

Pau Cubarsi, 2026

Spain's other young player slated to become one of the youngest final participants is Cubarsi, a centre-back who also stars for Barcelona.

With 19 international appearances in his career already, Curbasi has helped guide Spain to the verge of a World Cup trophy.

Kylian Mbappe, 2018

Now widely regarded as one of, if not the, best strikers in the world, Kylian Mbappe's trajectory on the international stage began at the 2018 World Cup.

At age 19, he became just the second teenager ever to score in a World Cup final match in France vs. Croatia. Mbappe was then honored as the World Cup Best Young Player and French Player of the Year.

After winning the Golden Boot in 2022 and leading France on another deep run in 2026, Mbappe has already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest World Cup scorers ever.