Youssoufa Moukoko: Borussia Dortmund's star in the making
Ed McCambridge
August 12, 2019
Still only 14, the Cameroonian wunderkind hit the headlines again this week after scoring six times in a U19 youth match. After starring across several age groups, the only thing holding him back is age restriction.
The most bizarre thing about Youssoufa Moukoko scoring six goals in an under 19s (U19) youth match on Sunday isn't that the Borussia Dortmund striker is just 14 years old. It's that nobody is particularly surprised.
Moukoko's goal scoring feats have become the stuff of legend in Germany's youth divisions. He first came to prominence after scoring a brace on his U17 debut in 2017. He was 12.
The Cameroon-born star in the making has gone on to break a series of records at youth level. Forty-six goals in 25 games — the greatest ever return in a single U17 season — would have been remarkable enough, were he not just 14 years old.
More than just a flat-track bully, the child prodigy's strikes last season included a brace against Schalke in a 4-4 draw en route to winning the league title, and decisive goals in the semifinal and final of the team's triumphant cup campaign.
At the beginning of the 2019-20 season, there was little doubt he was ready to make yet another step up in age classification.
"Youssoufa has now reached the age in which he is allowed to play in the U19 team," youth chief Lars Ricken had told German daily BILD ahead of Moukoko's promotion. "We see this as the right year for him to play in this age group, which corresponds to his performance. He's scored a lot of goals, is very inquisitive, hungry for success, hardworking and always comes with a smile that distinguishes him, that's what we look at. The tools are there."
The decision has been quickly vindicated, and Sunday's double hat trick again SG Unterrath must surely have Borussia Dortmund coaches checking the rulebooks to find out how soon the 14-year-old can make his Bundesliga debut. Hint: Not until the beginning of the 2021/22 season.
Moukoko scored as BVB defeated Bayern to lift the U17 championshipImage: picture-alliance/firo
Such goal scoring prowess has naturally brought attention, positive and negative. Moukoko signed a boot deal with Nike worth a reported €10 million ($11.3 million) in May of this year, drawing comparisons with Freddy Adu. Aged 14, the American signed his own lucrative boot deal and was tipped to be his nation's very own Pele. He faded into obscurity instead, becoming a cautionary tale for a too-much-too-young youth football culture.
Others, meanwhile, have questioned his age, including a former coach at Borussia Dortmund. After all, how could a 14-year-old possibly be this good? Dortmund youth coordinator, Lars Ricken, jumped to his defense, while Moukoko's own father Joseph rejected the claims, asking how Youssoufa could be older given his mother was still just 28.
The majority of the attention has been overwhelmingly positive, though. Every video of him destroying defenses half his age again drooled over on social media, receiving thousands of shares and comments.
His feats haven't gone unnoticed in more rarefied circles, either. The German FA are thought to be doing everything possible to lure him into a future with his adopted nation. He featured in Germany's U16 victory over Austria in September 2018 and will receive further calls-up in the future.
Those are decisions for another day, though. The focus now is to continue his remarkable progress in Germany's youth divisions before, Borussia fans hope, lining up alongside Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho et al with the Yellow Wall in full support.
Football prodigies; some become stars, some fade away
It would seem the sky is the limit for Youssoufa Moukoko, who scored six goals for Dortmund on his debut in the U19 Bundesliga. Here we look back at previous young prodigies whose careers took off – or disappointed.
Image: pictures-alliance/dpa/empics
Youssoufa Moukoko
Youssoufa Moukoko had a dream debut in the under-19 Bundesliga, scoring six goals in Borussia Dortmund's 9-2 drubbing of Wuppertaler SV. He first came to national attention earlier this year when it was reported that Nike had paid €10 million ($11.2 million) to get his name on a sponsorship deal. He will be eligible to play in the Bundesliga on November 20, 2020, when he turns 16.
Pele began playing for Santos at the age of 15 and Brazil a year later. He represented his country at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, scoring a hat-trick against France in the semifinal, becoming the youngest player to score in a World Cup in the process. He went on to make 92 appearances for Brazil, scoring 77 goals. He spent the last two seasons of his career with the New York Cosmos.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors at the age of 15 and went on to have a long and storied career with Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla among others. He also led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and is remembered for scoring against England with a blatant handball – and also scoring on a solo run that is considered one of the greatest goals in history.
Image: pictures-alliance/dpa/empics
Cristiano Ronaldo
Now 34, the Juventus forward made his debut with Sporting Lisbon at just 17 – scoring two goals. At 18 he joined Manchester United, where he spent several seasons before climbing to even greater heights with Real Madrid – scoring 311 goals in just 292 appearances for Los Blancos. He's made 158 appearances for Portugal, and led them to the Euro 2016 title in France.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe debuted for Ligue 1 club Monaco in 2015 at the age of 16 and in 2017 he became the world's second-most expensive transfer, moving to Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €180 million. Mbappe has since won several team and individual awards. On July 15, 2018 he became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final as France beat Croatia 4-2 to lift the trophy.
Image: Reuters/R. Orlowski
Norman Whiteside
Beyond Northern Ireland and Manchester, Norman Whiteside is perhaps best remembered for breaking Pele's record for being the youngest to play in a World Cup – at 17 years and 41 days – in Spain in 1982. A year later, Whiteside became the youngest to score in an FA Cup final – as United beat Brighton 4-0 in a replay. However, a series of injuries forced him to retire as a player at just 26.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/empics
Freddy Adu
Prodigies don't always live up to their billing. Freddy Adu was touted as the next Pele when he made his MLS debut at the age of 14 in 2004. Adu was traded from DC United to Salt Lake in 2006 before quickly moving to Benfica. But what followed was a journeyman career through more than a dozen clubs. Most recently he was dropped from the roster of the Las Vegas Lights of the USL Championship.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma/C. Myers
Alen Halilovic
Alen Halilovic made his pro debut for Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16 and made his first appearance for Croatia a few months later, becoming that country's youngest player. Two years later he moved to Catalan powerhouse Barcelona and the sky seemed to be the limit. However, he would play just one match for Barca before being loaned out. He is currently on loan at Standard Liege from AC MIlan.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato had an auspicious start to his career, deputing for Brazilian club Internacional at 16 – helping the club to win the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup. A year later he was at AC Milan, where the forward put up good numbers at first. Injuries contributed to a downward slide and he started bouncing around – winding up with Chinese side Tianjin Tianhai. He's now back in Brazil with Sao Paolo.
John Bostock has the distinction of being the youngest player to debut for both Crystal Palace (15 in 2007) and Tottenham Hotspur (16 in 2008). However, his career quickly stalled and he embarked on a tour that took him all the way to MLS club Toronto FC, where he played just seven matches in 2013. The midfielder is now at Championship side Nottingham Forest, where he is on loan from Toulouse.
The Canadian, who was born to Liberian parents in a refugee camp in Ghana, signed his first professional contract with the Whitecaps FC2 of the USL at the age of 15 – later moving up to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS. In the 2018 summer transfer window, Bayern Munich swooped in to bring the promising youngster to the Bundesliga. Still just 18, Davies has 14 caps and three goals for Canada.
