Lamine Yamal now the fifth youngest Barcelona debutant as former player had falsified age

Lamine Yamal’s historic debut for FC Barcelona on April 29, 2023, at just 15 years and 291 days old, was a moment celebrated across the footballing world.

The youngster from La Masia, after all, was regarded as the next big thing to come out of Barcelona’s academy and was headed for big things.

At the same time, Yamal also etched his name on the history books, becoming one of the youngest players to debut for Barcelona in an official match.

Martinez Sagi had falsified his age

Yamal was sixth on the list of youngest players to ever debut for Barcelona. But recent revelations from La Vanguardia (h/t Diario SPORT) have reshaped the rankings of Barcelona’s youngest-ever debutants, propelling Yamal one spot higher on the list.

There was a long-held belief at Barça that Armand Martinez Sagi, who allegedly debuted in 1920 at 14 years and 200 days, was the youngest player in Barça’s history.

Lamine Yamal is set to become the face of the Barcelona attack in the years to come (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

However, newly unearthed evidence reveals that Martinez Sagi was actually six years older than previously recorded, invalidating the claim.

It was discovered that Martínez Sagi’s date of birth had been misrepresented. Official documents, including the Uruguayan death register, confirmed he was born in 1900, not 1906, making him six years older than previously thought.

Lamine Yamal moves up the list

The revelation removes Martinez Sagi from the record books as Barcelona’s youngest debutant.

Instead, Alfredo Gil Porta now holds the distinction, debuting on March 4, 1906, at 15 years, 1 month, and 23 days.

Yamal is now ranked fifth, behind players like Paulino Alcántara and Antoni Robert, who all debuted as teenagers.