Arsenal teenager Max Dowman made history on Tuesday night as he became the youngest player ever to feature in a Champions League match, appearing as a substitute in the Gunners’ 3-0 win against Slavia Prague.
At just 15 years and 308 days, the forward broke the record previously held by Youssoufa Moukoko, who played for Borussia Dortmund at 16 years and 18 days. Dowman replaced Leandro Trossard in the 72nd minute as Arsenal sealed their tenth straight victory and an eighth consecutive clean sheet, equalling a club record set in 1903.
Manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for the youngster after the match. “It does not get any harder than this competition and Max, at 15, straight away looked to take people on and win free-kicks,” said Arteta. “The way he plays he attracts a lot of contact. He is so good at timing the right moment to move the ball. We have a massive player there.”
Dowman’s latest milestone comes just six days after he became the youngest Arsenal player to start a match, doing so in the EFL Cup win over Brighton. He is already the second youngest to represent the Gunners and the second youngest to appear in the Premier League, with team-mate Ethan Nwaneri holding both records at 15 years and 181 days.
Having trained with the first-team squad since he was 14, Dowman joined Arsenal’s senior setup for a warm-weather camp in Dubai in January 2024. His rapid rise has been closely managed by the club, with a strong emphasis on education, safeguarding and support within the senior environment.
Dowman has already built a reputation for breaking records. In May, he became the youngest goalscorer in the Under-17 European Championship while representing England, and only last month he became the youngest to score for England Under-19s.
Arteta and his staff have taken a cautious approach to his development, monitoring how the teenager responds to different situations, including time on the bench and involvement in first-team training.
Youngest players in Champions League history:
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Max Dowman (Arsenal) – 15 years, 308 days (4 November 2025)
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Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund) – 16 years, 18 days (8 December 2020)
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Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – 16 years, 68 days (19 September 2023)
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Celestine Babayaro (Anderlecht) – 16 years, 86 days (23 November 1994)
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Rayan Cherki (Lyon) – 16 years, 102 days (27 November 2019)
