Youngest Player in World Cup History

South Korean forward Casey Fair celebrated her 16th birthday on Tuesday, just 26 days before participating in the World Cup, becoming the youngest player to feature in the tournament.

Born in the United States, the teenager made her mark in the Group H match against Colombia in Sydney, where South Korea suffered a 2-0 defeat. In the 78th minute, she came on as a substitute and broke the record previously held by Nigeria’s Ifeanyi Chiejine, who was 16 years and 34 days old during the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

On Tuesday, another record was shattered during the Group H clash – according to FIFA, Casey Fair and South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi hold the largest age gap between teammates in the history of the Women’s World Cup, with an age difference of 22 years and 256 days.

Reuters reports that Casey Fair is the first player with a mixed heritage to be selected for the South Korean World Cup team. After announcing her selection, South Korea’s coach, Colin Bell, stated that it was their duty to shield the young player from media scrutiny.

South Korea’s next match will be against Morocco in Adelaide on Sunday.

The youngest male player to compete in the World Cup was Norman Whiteside, who represented Northern Ireland in 1982 at the age of 17 years and 41 days.

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