Norway’s 15-year-old midfielder Martin Odegaard became the youngest player to appear in a Euro qualifier when he came on as a second-half substitute in his side’s 2-1 win over Bulgaria on Monday.
Odegaard replaced Mats Moller Daehli in the 64th minute to a huge ovation from the home crowd, setting a new age record at 15 years, 300 days. He broke a 31-year-old mark held by Iceland’s Sigurdur Jonsson, who was 16 years, 251 days old when he made his qualifying debut against Malta in 1983.
Odegaard told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang after the game that “it was special.”
Photo: AFP
“I think it went great today and we got the three points, that’s the most important,” he said.
Meanwhile, Croatia went top of Group H on goal-difference after whipping Azerbaijan 6-0, one short of their record win over Andorra in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
Croatia had the game wrapped up by halftime as they went 4-0 up. Andrej Kamaric converted veteran Darjo Srna’s cross in the 11th minute, but it was substitute Ivan Perisic who terrified the visiting defense once he came on in the 24th minute.
Photo: AFP
He scored a brace — the first a header from Ivan Rakitic’s free-kick — while 21-year-old Marcelo Brozovic added a fourth in first-half stoppage-time.
Playmaker Luka Modric made it 5-0 from the penalty spot before he was removed four minutes later and the shell-shocked visitors went 6-0 down as Rashad Sadygov put through his own net just after the hour mark.
Neighbors Bosnia-Herzegovina also took a lead into the halftime break against Belgium through Edin Dzeko, but ultimately drew 1-1 thanks to Radja Nainggola.
In other matches, the Czech Republic defeated Kazakhstan 4-2, Israel thrashed Andorra 4-0 and Latvia were held 1-1 by Turkey.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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