Winners of their first two matches against FC Metz and FC Nantes, RC Strasbourg achieved a European first by playing a team composed entirely of players born in 2002 or later. Learn more about Liam Rosenior's (very) precocious young side.
Born on October 7, 2002, Joaquin Panichelli is the oldest player in Rosenior's starting XI against FC Metz last Sunday. He was also the only goal scorer in the derby on his debut at only 22 years old. This density of young players has allowed RC Strasbourg Alsace to become the first team in the history of the five major European leagues to field 11 starters born in 2000 or later. Four of them even made their Ligue 1 McDonald's debuts (Mike Penders, Lucas HΓΈgsberg, Samir El Mourabet, Panichelli).
With an average age of 20 years and 288 days, RCSA also beat its own record for the youngest starting eleven in Ligue 1 McDonald's since 1947/48, set on January 25, 2025 against Lille (21 years and 171 days). Indeed, Strasbourg have fielded 33 of the 50 youngest starting XIs in the competition since 1947/48. And 32 of those 33 occurrences have come from last season onwards.
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β Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace English (@RCSA_English) August 25, 2025
Yet, during this Eastern European derby, the youngest player on the pitch wasn't from Alsace, but from Moselle. Brian Madjo became, at the age of 16 years and 217 days, the youngest FC Metz player to start a Ligue 1 McDonald's match since 1947/48, breaking the record set by Bernard ZΓ©nier in August 1974 against Lyon (16 years and 360 days). He is also the first player born in 2009 to start in a European top-5 match.
The Metz native is therefore the youngest player to have played on Matchday 1, beating eight other 17-year-olds. Historically, only seven players have started a Ligue 1 McDonald's match at a younger age in the 21st century. Ayyoub Bouaddi has been ranked first in this ranking since January 28, 2024 (16 years and 118 days). Going back to the 1947/48 season, the young Metz player ranks 18th.
Young talents who made their Ligue 1 debut π
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Samir El Mourabet π²π¦ pic.twitter.com/wsatbHdyjoβ Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) August 19, 2025
Among them is Maxima Goffi, who became the first LOSC player born in 2008 to play in a Ligue 1 McDonald's match. At 17 years and 206 days, the defender is the fourth youngest Lille player to make his top-flight debut in the 21st century, after Bouaddi (16 years and 20 days at Brest in October 2023), Leny Yoro (16 years and 182 days at Nice in May 2022), and Eden Hazard (16 years and 321 days at Nancy in November 2007).
Well-positioned among the youth teams, the Dogues also had the oldest goalscorer on Matchday 1, Olivier Giroud (38 years and 321 days). The French striker has taken the lead in LOSC's historic rankings, overtaking JosΓ© Fonte (38 years and 319 days, in November 2022).
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