Amalar Surpasses Pelé as the Youngest Player in a Major International Final; De la Fuente: He’s a Genius Who Can Become One of the Greatest Players Ever

Amalar, who just turned 17, is experiencing an incredibly wonderful summer. At the 2024 European Championship, Amalar played a crucial role in helping Spain win the title and was also named the tournament’s best young player, tying the record for most assists in a single European Championship (4). Notably, Amalar has surpassed Brazilian legend Pelé to become the youngest player to appear in a major international final (World Cup or European Championship).

In the 1958 World Cup final, Pelé, then 17 years and 249 days old, started in Brazil’s 5-2 victory over Sweden, scoring twice, leading his team to the World Cup title and becoming the youngest player to appear in a major international final. This record stood for decades until it was broken by Spanish prodigy Amalar.

In the 2023-24 season, at only 16 years old, Amalar made 51 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions, scoring 7 goals and providing 8 assists. Due to this outstanding performance, Amalar caught the eye of Luis de la Fuente, earning a spot on Spain’s squad for the 2024 European Championship and securing a place in the starting lineup. In the first group stage match, Spain defeated Croatia 3-0, with Amalar providing an assist and becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the European Championship (16 years and 338 days). In the semi-final, Spain eliminated France 2-1, where Amalar scored a stunning goal, becoming the youngest ever scorer in the history of the European Championship (16 years and 362 days).

On July 13th, Amalar celebrated his 17th birthday. Shortly thereafter, the European Championship final arrived, and Amalar, as expected, started the match, surpassing Brazilian legend Pelé to become the youngest player to feature in a major international final. In this final, Amalar continued his hot form, assisting Nico Williams’ opening goal, laying the foundation for their eventual triumph.

Regarding Amalar’s performance at this European Championship, Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente said, “In my view, Amalar is a genius player. God has blessed him with football talent, and he can grow into one of the greatest players of all time.”