Who are the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history?

Who are the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history? Discover a list of the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history, as well as the youngest for England.

Many young prospects are able to shine at the World Cup, as it provides the perfect platform on a global scale. The best young talents for each national team can excel, even if they aren’t always in the starting XI. But who are the youngest goalscorers in World Cup history?

This blog will cover the youngest players to ever score in the tournament, including the youngest for England, the youngest World Cup final scorers, and more.

Though, if you’re already backing certain players to light up the tournament, why not dive straight in and explore the latest World Cup betting odds for all the matches as they happen.

Who is the youngest player to score in the World Cup?

Though there have been many youngsters grabbing goals at the World Cup, the youngest of them all is Pele. The now legendary Brazilian forward grabbed his first goal at the tournament in the 1958 quarter-finals against Wales. 

After chesting the ball down in the middle of the box, Pele spun around and his shot deflected off defender Stuart Williams, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and nestling into the back of the net. The goal contributed to Brazil winning their first-ever World Cup in the same campaign, and helped establish Pele as not only a wonderkid, but one of the best players on the planet at the time.

Who are the youngest World Cup goalscorers?

Now that you know the youngest goalscorer at the World Cup, you might be keen to find out which other names join him in the top ten. Here’s the current list of the youngest goalscorers at the tournament ahead of the 2026 edition: 

Who are the youngest players to score a hat-trick at the World Cup?

Scoring one goal at the tournament is special, but a hat-trick is another level of achievement for a player, especially a young one. Below is the list of the youngest players to score a hat-trick at the World Cup: 

Notably, Pele bagged a hattrick just days after netting his first World Cup goal for Brazil, in 1958.

Though he wasn’t young enough to make this list, Kylian Mbappe’s 2022 World Cup final performance saw him become the youngest player to score a hat-trick in a final at the tournament. At only 23 years and 363 days old, he just beats the only other player to have completed the achievement, with Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final being 24 years and 234 days old.

The youngest England World Cup goalscorers

Now moving onto England players specifically, let’s dive into the youngest goalscorers they’ve had at the World Cup. Here’s a ranked list below: 

You might be surprised by this list somewhat, considering there are only two under twenty on it with Michael Owen and Jude Bellingham. Not only that, but also no Wayne Rooney!

Despite Rooney being England’s youngest ever goalscorer after getting one against North Macedonia, it was in Euro 2004 qualifiers, so he doesn’t make the top spot for the World Cup. Though he was 17 years, 317 days when he got his first national team goal, he didn’t actually score a goal at the World Cup until he was 28!

This also highlights the impressive nature of Owen and Bellingham’s achievements though, showing just how good these players really were.

Who are the youngest players to score in a World Cup final?

Stepping it up another notch, the youngest players to score in a World Cup final are some of the top breakthrough stars that the tournament has ever seen. Here’s a list of the youngest five players to have scored in a World Cup final: 

Again, there are only two under twenties on this list that have managed to accomplish this feat in Pele and Mbappe. This shows just how rare it is for players so young to make an impact on such a big stage.

Whether anyone else can make it here will be difficult to tell, but with elite youngsters playing for top national sides like Lamine Yamal and the Spain national team, there’s definitely potential for it to happen in 2026!

How to bet on the World Cup

Betting on the World Cup is always an exciting prospect for bettors around the globe, so it’s certainly something to keep an eye on. As the world’s top national football teams compete against each other to reach the most sought-after prize in international football, it isn’t an opportunity to miss.

With Betway, you’ll find an array of markets like top goalscorer, tournament winner, and in-play betting. As the tournament gets closer, more markets will become available, so there’s plenty to look forward to!

Head over to the Betway site or use our mobile app to start your World Cup betting journey now! Alternatively, start exploring even more World Cup insights over on our blog.