A teenager from Bosnia just pulled off something at the World Cup that Kylian Mbappé didn’t do until he was 19.
Kerim Alajbegović, 18 years and 276 days old, scored a solo goal against Qatar that put his team up 1-0. But the moment itself was only part of the story. The kid is now the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history.
The list of players ahead of him? Dmitri Sychev, Nicolae Kovács, Michael Owen, Ibrahim Mbaye, Gavi, Manuel Rosas, and Pelé. Alright company to keep.
A goal that stood out
Here’s where it gets more specific. According to Opta’s data, Alajbegović is the youngest player to score from outside the box at a World Cup since they started tracking that stat in 1966. His goal wasn’t a tap-in or a penalty. He created it himself, beat a defender, and fired from distance.
That also means he bumped Mbappé down a spot. Mbappé was 19 years and 207 days old when he scored at the 2018 World Cup. Alajbegović had almost a full year on him.
The goal matters for Bosnia’s tournament too. They’re still alive in the race for the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams. Not a done deal, but that win over Qatar gave them a real shot.
What this means for Bosnia
Nobody expected Bosnia to make serious noise at this World Cup. They came in as underdogs, the kind of team that could get bounced early or maybe surprise a couple people. Alajbegović’s goal shifts the conversation a bit. If they sneak into the knockout stage, this moment will be the reason why.
And for a kid who just turned 18, it’s not bad for the highlight reel either. (Getty Images had him on the cover of their gallery for a reason.)
Bosnia plays their next group match in a few days. If Alajbegović does anything close to this again, the internet’s going to have a lot more to say.
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