Luis Munoz of Arsenal has made history by becoming the youngest player ever to compete in the UEFA Youth League, debuting at just 13 years old.
Born on December 18, 2011, Munoz came off the bench for Arsenal’s under-19 team during their 4-2 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
This remarkable achievement breaks the previous record set by Liam Payas, who appeared for Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps last year at 14 years, three months, and one day old.
Munoz is an England U15 international and was among several young players included in Arsenal’s squad to gain valuable experience, especially given that a move to the knockout stages seems unlikely.
The UEFA Youth League operates under a format similar to the Champions League, featuring U19 teams from the senior tournament’s entrants and youth champions from UEFA’s member associations.
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For this season, players born on or after January 1, 2007, are eligible to compete, with squads allowed to include up to five players born in 2006.
Munoz hopes to emulate Max Dowman, who, at 15, has made the leap to Mikel Arteta’s first team and scored both the opening and fourth goals in Wednesday’s youth match.
Munoz was not the only Arsenal debutant in the UEFA Youth League, as the highly-rated Emerson Nwaneri, brother of first-team midfielder Ethan, also made an appearance from the bench.