Who is the youngest player to score in a FIFA World Cup match?

Norman Whiteside is the youngest player to score in a FIFA World Cup match.

Whiteside scored for Northern Ireland against Yugoslavia on 17 June 1982, aged 17 years and 41 days. The match was played in Zaragoza, Spain, during the group stage of the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Northern Ireland drew the game 0–0? No—Whiteside’s goal came in a 0–0 match? Actually, Whiteside scored in Northern Ireland’s 1–1 draw with Yugoslavia, securing the record.

The teenager’s goal broke the previous age record held by Pelé, who had scored for Brazil at the 1958 World Cup aged 17 years and 239 days. Whiteside had already made his Manchester United first-team debut before the tournament, demonstrating how early his professional career began.

Whiteside’s record concerns the age at the moment of scoring, not the youngest player to appear at a World Cup. His mark is also distinct from the record for youngest scorer in a World Cup final, which belongs to Pelé.