Birmingham-born Zimbabwean, Shumaira Mheuka, has become Chelsea’s youngest-ever player to start in a major European competition at just 17 years and 137 days old.
The young forward was included in the Blues’ starting lineup for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League round of 16 first-leg match against FC Copenhagen.
This saw him break a 24-year-old club record previously held by Joel Kitamirike, who started a UEFA Cup match for Chelsea at 17 years and 196 days in October 2001.
Kitamirike, who was born in Kampala, Uganda, made only one appearance for the club before fading into obscurity.
Mheuka had already made his European debut against FC Astana on December 12, 2024. He also played his first Premier League match on February 25, 2025, coming on for Enzo Fernandez in the final minute of Chelsea’s 4-0 victory over Southampton.
Against FC Copenhagen, Mheuka was on the pitch for 45 minutes before being substituted at halftime for Christopher Nkunku. Chelsea went on to win the game 2-1.
Born in Birmingham, England, Mheuka has progressed rapidly through Chelsea’s youth system since joining from Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of his Under-14s season.
During the 2023-24 campaign, he impressed for Chelsea’s Under-18 team, scoring 12 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions.
He also played in the U18 Premier League national final at Stamford Bridge against Manchester United.
On the international stage, Mheuka was part of England’s squad at the European Under-17 Championship, where he scored in their opening match against Spain.
Despite his ties to England, Mheuka remains eligible to play for Zimbabwe at the senior level, keeping the door open for a potential international switch in the future.
