The 22 Best Footballers Who Captained Their Club as Teenagers

Each of these players wore a senior club's armband before turning 20, the youngest at 16. Vote on the career, not on the birth certificate.

1. 1
   Lamine Yamal

   Spanish winger who took the Barcelona armband against Feyenoord in the Champions League in September 2026 at 19, the youngest player to captain the club, and a Euro 2024 winner with Spain.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Fernando Torres

   Spanish striker named Atlético Madrid captain at 19, who later scored the winning goal for Spain in the Euro 2008 final.
   814pts

   BE
3. 3
   Matthijs de Ligt

   Dutch centre-back who took the Ajax armband in March 2018 at 18 and captained the side that reached the 2019 Champions League semi-finals and won the Dutch league and cup double.
   660pts
4. 4
   Patrick Vieira

   French midfielder who captained Cannes at 19, later captain of Arsenal's unbeaten 2003–04 Premier League champions and a World Cup and European Championship winner with France.
   610pts
5. 5
   Niko Kranjčar

   Croatian playmaker who first wore the Dinamo Zagreb armband at 17 and later played for Hajduk Split, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur.
   610pts
6. 6
   Jude Bellingham

   English midfielder who captained Borussia Dortmund against Cologne in October 2022 at 19, the youngest Bundesliga captain since the league began recording it in 1995, and joined Real Madrid in 2023.
   610pts
7. 7
   Stevan Jovetić

   Montenegrin forward named Partizan club captain in January 2008 at 18, after Antonio Rukavina's move to Borussia Dortmund, later a striker for Fiorentina, Manchester City and Inter Milan.
   563pts
8. 8
   Youri Tielemans

   Belgian midfielder who first captained Anderlecht at 19 years and 201 days in a Europa League match away to Qabala in November 2016, and scored the winning goal for Leicester City in the 2021 FA Cup final.
   553pts
9. 9
   Nikola Vlašić

   Croatian midfielder who captained Hajduk Split at 18 in a Europa League qualifier in July 2016, later a player for Everton, CSKA Moscow and Torino and a World Cup bronze medallist with Croatia in 2022.
   553pts
10. 10
    Micah Richards

    English defender who captained Manchester City against Aston Villa in September 2007 at 19, the youngest first-team captain in the club's history, and won the Premier League with City in 2012.
    488pts
11. 11
    Mateo Kovačić

    Croatian midfielder who took the Dinamo Zagreb armband at 17 in a league match against Lučko in the 2011–12 season, later a Champions League winner with Real Madrid and Chelsea.
    413pts
12. 12
    Kristoffer Ajer

    Norwegian defender who captained IK Start against Lillestrøm in April 2015 at 16, the youngest captain in the history of Norway's top division, before moving to Celtic and Brentford.
    413pts
13. 13
    Mamadou Sakho

    French centre-back who captained Paris Saint-Germain on his Ligue 1 debut in October 2007 at 17 years and 8 months, the youngest captain in the league's history.
    325pts
14. 14
    Jorrel Hato

    Dutch defender who captained Ajax against AEK Athens in the Europa League in December 2023 at 17 years and 282 days, the club's youngest captain in a European match.
    325pts
15. 15
    Curtis Jones

    English midfielder who captained Liverpool to a 1–0 FA Cup replay win over Shrewsbury in February 2020 at 19 years and 5 days, the youngest captain in the club's history.
    325pts
16. 16
    Warren Zaïre-Emery

    French midfielder who wore the Paris Saint-Germain armband against Rennes on his 19th birthday in March 2025, in the season the club won its first Champions League.
    325pts
17. 17
    Lee Cattermole

    English midfielder who captained Middlesbrough against Fulham in May 2006 at 18 years and 47 days, the youngest captain in the club's history, and was later club captain at Sunderland.
    325pts
18. 18
    Ray Wilkins

    English midfielder handed the Chelsea captaincy in 1975 at 18, who later played for Manchester United and AC Milan and won 84 caps for England.
    222pts
19. 19
    Dejan Stanković

    Serbian midfielder made Red Star Belgrade captain in 1997 while still a teenager, the youngest in the club's history, and a treble winner with Inter Milan in 2010.
    222pts
20. 20
    Andrija Živković

    Serbian winger who captained Partizan in March 2014 at 17 years, 7 months and 18 days, the youngest captain in the club's history, and won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup with Serbia.
    222pts
21. 21
    Steven Defour

    Belgian midfielder appointed Standard Liège captain at 19 in 2007, who led the club to the Belgian league titles of 2008 and 2009.
    0pts
22. 22
    Rúben Neves

    Portuguese midfielder who started as Porto captain against Maccabi Tel Aviv in October 2015 at 18 years and 221 days, the youngest player to start a Champions League match as captain.
    0pts

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