The six youngest World Cup winners of all time

Winning the World Cup is the pinnacle of any footballer's career - but how about doing it as a teenager? Here, Ladbrokes explores the six youngest World Cup winners of all time.

From household names to relative unknowns, this list spans 60 years of World Cup history, and is dominated by one particular nation - but only one 17-year-old Brazilian can hold the crown.

Without further ado, let's dive into our look at the six youngest World Cup winners in history, kicking off with one of modern football's superstars.

6) Kylian Mbappe (19 years, 207 days)

• Nation: France

• Tournament: 2018 World Cup

• Appearances: 7

• Goals: 4

Already a key figure for France at the tender age of 18, Kylian Mbappe soared to global fame with a spectacular performance at the 2018 World Cup, where four goals - including one in the final - helped seal his place in this exclusive list.

Mbappe hasn't looked back since bursting onto the scene almost a decade ago, with the Frenchman joint-favourite for the Golden Boot at this year's tournament, and with 12 World Cup goals already under his belt, a prolific summer could even see him break Miroslav Klose's record and become the top goalscorer in World Cup history.

Now 27, the Frenchman has won a healthy haul of trophies and still shines at the very top of the game, with the Real Madrid man consistently in Ballon d'Or conversations as he continues to set the standard for attackers around the world.

5) Marco Antonio (19 years, 135 days)

• Nation: Brazil

• Tournament: 1970 World Cup

• Appearances: 2

• Goals: 0

Perhaps the least familiar name of the six youngest World Cup winners, Marco Antonio featured in two World Cups for Brazil, but it was his nation's 1970 triumph in Mexico that earned him the biggest prize of his career.

The left back only played a couple of times in the tournament, and didn't actually get any minutes in the final, but had the best seat in the house as the likes of Pele, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto secured Brazil their third World Cup, beating Italy 4-1 in a dominant display.

Antonio earned 52 caps for his country over the course of his career, scoring one goal, and will be watching on in 2026 as Brazil look to justify their position as one of the pre-tournament favourites with a successful summer in the United States.

4) Coutinho (19 years, 6 days)

• Nation: Brazil

• Tournament: 1962 World Cup

• Appearances: 0

• Goals: 0

No, not that Coutinho. In 1962, 19-year-old Coutinho didn't get on the pitch for even one minute of Brazil's triumphant tournament, but he still officially goes down as the fourth-youngest World Cup winner of all time.

The Santos legend wasn't picked for any other World Cup squads over the years, so failed to actually make a single appearance at the prestigious tournament, but still has a winners' medal to his name thanks to the brilliance of his world-renowned teammates.

Coutinho was in line to be a starter in 1962, but an unfortunate injury on the eve of the tournament ruined his chances of playing, so he goes down in history as the youngest man with a career total of zero World Cup appearances to have lifted the trophy.

3) Giuseppe Bergomi (18 years, 174 days)

• Nation: Italy

• Tournament: 1982 World Cup

• Appearances: 3

• Goals: 0

Into the top three now and we meet the holder of a peculiar World Cup record, with Giuseppe Bergomi still the only 18-year-old to ever win a World Cup, as his Italy side picked up their third World Cup trophy in 1982.

With over 500 appearances for Inter Milan and 81 caps for his country, Bergomi is widely considered one of Italy's greatest-ever defenders, and he went on to captain his country at the 1990 World Cup as they reached the semi-finals.

Overall, Bergomi featured in four separate World Cups, playing 16 times, and notably made all these appearances without ever playing a single World Cup qualifying match. Now an inductee in the Italian Football Hall of Fame, the defender remains a household name in Milan.

2) Ronaldo (17 years, 298 days)

• Nation: Brazil

• Tournament: 1994 World Cup

• Appearances: 0

• Goals: 0

When Ronaldo is brought into World Cup conversations, everybody remembers his brace in the 2002 showpiece or the famous incident ahead of the 1998 final - but it was actually USA 1994 that brought the Brazilian his first World Cup trophy.

The legendary striker had only just emerged onto the scene back then, and didn't make a single appearance at the tournament, but he watched his side defeat Italy on penalties to win a fourth World Cup - propelling R9 straight into the history books without even kicking a ball.

Of course, Ronaldo didn't need much help writing his name into the annals of footballing greatness, with hundreds of goals, countless honours and a Ballon d'Or making sure his legacy will stand the test of time, but becoming the second-youngest World Cup winner of all time is another accolade to add to the endless list of honours.

1) Pele (17 years, 249 days)

• Nation: Brazil

• Tournament: 1958 World Cup

• Appearances: 4

• Goals: 6

There's a reason Pele is one of football's most iconic names, with his performances at the 1958 World Cup guiding his country to glory and breaking countless records that still stand today.

Along with becoming the youngest World Cup winner, Pele also scored in the World Cup final to become the youngest man ever to achieve that feat, and went on to score well over 1,000 goals across his illustrious career (including friendlies).

The Brazilian won three World Cups in total - an individual record - and scored 12 goals across four tournaments, securing his place comfortably inside the top 10 goalscorers in World Cup history.

Pele is synonymous with the World Cup, and comes in as the youngest World Cup winner of all time - a record that, like so many of his records, will take some beating.

That wraps up our look at the World Cup's youngest-ever winners, so why not have a read of some more World Cup content, from a piece on the last five World Cup finals and a dive into England's record at tournaments, to the complete 2026 fixture schedule and a detailed World Cup betting guide.

Check out the latest betting promotions from Ladbrokes to enhance your betting experience.

All odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.

View the latest World Cup 2026 odds.