# 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.

*By YPB Team · Published November 13, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-22-best-footballers-who-captained-their-club-as-teenagers*

---

## Current results (1 vote, 1 from signed-in voters)

1. **Lamine Yamal** — score 1000/1000
   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.
2. **Fernando Torres** — score 814/1000
   Spanish striker named Atlético Madrid captain at 19, who later scored the winning goal for Spain in the Euro 2008 final.
3. **Matthijs de Ligt** — score 660/1000
   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.
4. **Patrick Vieira** — score 610/1000
   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.
5. **Niko Kranjčar** — score 610/1000
   Croatian playmaker who first wore the Dinamo Zagreb armband at 17 and later played for Hajduk Split, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur.
6. **Jude Bellingham** — score 610/1000
   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.
7. **Stevan Jovetić** — score 563/1000
   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.
8. **Youri Tielemans** — score 553/1000
   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.
9. **Nikola Vlašić** — score 553/1000
   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.
10. **Micah Richards** — score 488/1000
   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.
11. **Mateo Kovačić** — score 413/1000
   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.
12. **Kristoffer Ajer** — score 413/1000
   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.
13. **Mamadou Sakho** — score 325/1000
   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.
14. **Jorrel Hato** — score 325/1000
   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.
15. **Curtis Jones** — score 325/1000
   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.
16. **Warren Zaïre-Emery** — score 325/1000
   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.
17. **Lee Cattermole** — score 325/1000
   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.
18. **Ray Wilkins** — score 222/1000
   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.
19. **Dejan Stanković** — score 222/1000
   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.
20. **Andrija Živković** — score 222/1000
   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.
21. **Steven Defour** — score 0/1000
   Belgian midfielder appointed Standard Liège captain at 19 in 2007, who led the club to the Belgian league titles of 2008 and 2009.
22. **Rúben Neves** — score 0/1000
   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.

Tags: sports, football, players, teenagers, captains