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Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati made history on Sunday night by becoming the youngest player ever to score for the Spain national team.
The 17-year-old scored Spain’s third goal in their Nations League fixture against Ukraine in Madrid. The Barcelona forward cut inside and curled home a beautiful strike to add yet another record to his remarkable collection.
It’s not the first landmark Fati notched on Sunday either. His appearance against Ukraine was the first time he had started for Spain, making him the youngest player ever to start a game in the tournament.
Fati made his debut for Spain in Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Germany. The youngster came on at half-time to become his country’s youngest debutant since 1936 and Spain’s 800th full international.
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Ansu Makes Instant Impression
Fati certainly showed no signs of nerves against Ukraine and made an instant impression in the clash. There were less than two minutes on the clock when he raced into the area and won a penalty which Sergio Ramos duly converted.
Ramos scored a second for Spain just before the half-hour mark, before Fati claimed his historic goal. He had gone close before he found the back of the net too. A low shot flew just wide and a bicycle kick was blocked on the line by a Ukraine defender.
The Barcelona forward’s performance drew plenty of praise on Twitter:
Fati’s performance will give Barcelona fans a much-needed boost after a traumatic week that saw intense speculation over the future of captain Lionel Messi before the Argentine confirmed he would be staying with the Catalan giants.
Spain Boss Compares Ansu with Messi
Spain boss Luis Enrique was full of praise for Fati before Sunday’s match. The former Barcelona manager spoke about the teenager in his pre-match press conference and how impressed he has been by his qualities.
“In comparisons with Messi you will always lose, but I think Ansu’s performance is at a high level. It’s surprised me how calm and normal he is. That’s something at 17 years old you have to give him credit for. It’s great to have him. The attention he has in team-talks, his dedication, is a joy and a delight.
“When you see his face you know he wants to play. I hope that’s something he never loses. You have to be careful with his minutes but he does stuff that nobody else of his age can show. With good people around him he has a great future and we can enjoy him.”
Barcelona fans will know all too well that Messi’s time at the club is coming to an end, but the emergency of Fati and his performance for the national team offers real hope for the future.
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