21.1.2026
Nwankwo Kanu’s record of being the youngest African player to appear in the Champions League has been broken by Monaco’s Nigerian-born youngster George Ilenikhena.
Ilenikhena who moved to France when he was three years old achieved the feat when he appeared for Monaco in their tie against Real Madrid; a game they lost 6-1 in the Spanish capital. Ilenikhena came in for fellow Nigerian born player Folarin Balogun.
Europe soccer governing body UEFA released data showing Ilenikhen was 19 years and 157 days old when he played against Real Madrid, breaking Kanu’s previous record of 19 years and 260 days.
Ilenikhena is one of the youngest players in Europe’s top club competition to reach this milestone.
He was born on August 16, 2006, and moved to France when he was three years old.
His play at the youth level and in Ligue 2 caught the eyes of others, which resulted in him joining Royal Antwerp in 2023.
While in Antwerp, Ilenikhena made his debut in the UEFA Champions League and scored a key winning goal in the 92nd minute against FC Barcelona.
In July 2024, the player moved to AS Monaco. Since joining the Ligue 1 team, he has kept playing in both Ligue1 and European matches.
Kanu had a successful career, which included winning the UEFA Champions League, and his record as the youngest African player to make 15 appearances in the competition stayed unchanged for many years.