Brian Madjo’s starting role for Aston Villa sets a new UEFA Super Cup age benchmark

Brian Madjo has entered the UEFA Super Cup record books after Aston Villa manager Unai Emery named the 17-year-old forward in his starting line-up against Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Madjo was 17 years and 212 days old when he was selected to begin the match, making him the youngest player to start a UEFA Super Cup final since Opta’s data records began in 2006.

The milestone marks a significant moment in the early career of the French striker, who was trusted with a place in Aston Villa’s starting XI for one of the most important fixtures on the European calendar. His inclusion ensured that the match against Paris Saint-Germain would carry a place in the competition’s statistical history before kick-off.

Opta’s figures confirmed that Madjo had surpassed the previous benchmark for the youngest starting player in a UEFA Super Cup final. The record relates specifically to players selected from the beginning of the match, rather than those who appeared as substitutes.

Madjo’s achievement also extends beyond the UEFA Super Cup. Spanish statistician Alexis, widely known as “Mister Chip”, reported that the Aston Villa forward had become the youngest player to start any European final.

That distinction comes with an important qualification. The two players who were younger than Madjo when they appeared in European finals both came off the bench rather than being named in the starting line-up.

Ronald de Boer played in the 1987 UEFA Super Cup at the age of 17 years and 193 days. Ibrahim Mbaye then featured in the 2025 edition when he was 17 years and 201 days old. Both were younger than Madjo at the time of their respective appearances, but neither began the final.

By starting against Paris Saint-Germain at 17 years and 212 days, Madjo therefore established the youngest-starting-player record across European finals, according to “Mister Chip”. His place in Emery’s team also made him the youngest player to be handed a starting role in a UEFA Super Cup final during the period covered by Opta’s records.

The record adds another layer of significance to Madjo’s involvement in the fixture. Rather than making a late appearance, the teenager was selected from the outset by Emery, underlining the manager’s decision to place responsibility on one of Aston Villa’s youngest players in a European final.

His appearance against Paris Saint-Germain now links his name with two separate age milestones: the youngest starter in UEFA Super Cup history since 2006 and the youngest player to start a European final. Both records were confirmed through statistical analysis cited by Opta and Alexis, known as “Mister Chip”.