The brilliant career of Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, Gavi, achieved a new milestone against Costa Rica. He was not only, at 18 years and 110 days, the youngest debutant for Spain in a World Cup, but he also became the third youngest goalscorer in a World Cup, the first since Pelé, who achieved it with Sweden-1962 with 17 and 239 days, according to FIFA statistics. In the 1930 World Cup, the Mexican Manuel Rosas scored at the age of 18 years and 90 days. “Not even in the best of dreams could he imagine something like this,” said the Catalan, chosen as the best player of the match (MVP) against Costa Rica.
“They told me at the end of the game. I didn’t know and I’m very proud and very happy to be on that list,” said the Barça midfielder. “It is one more step. And to continue. Today we all had a magnificent match. From the first minute we went out to win it”, he valued. Regarding his goal, the fifth for the team, he explained that Luis Enrique always encourages him to reach the area. “I have seen that Morata was there in the area too, he has seen me very well and it was very clear to me since the ball came out that I was going to hit it first”. That’s how it was and she entered close to the post of an outmatched Keylor Navas.
Play next to Pedri
Gavi does not think “much” about the moment he lives or about everything he has achieved in such a short career. “Koke always tells me that I’ll find out when the years go by,” said the Sevillian, who also spoke about his understanding with Pedri: “We are very good friends off the field and on it. He is a spectacular player and it is very easy to play alongside him”
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With only one and a half seasons at Barcelona, the brave and talented midfielder from Los Palacios was already the earliest player to make his debut for Spain and a month ago he received the Kopa Trophy for the best European player under 21 years of age. With him starting against Costa Rica, Gavi broke the record of Cesc Fábregas, who made his debut in the final phase of the 2006 World Cup in Germany at the age of 19. Before that, he became the youngest player to debut with the national team when he did so in the semifinals of the League of Nations against Italy in October 2021, with 17 years and 62 days, surpassing the distant mark of Ángel Zubieta since 1936. He also scored a goal last June against the Czech Republic and took away from his teammate Ansu Fati the mark of youngest scorer in Spain
Gavi made his debut with Barça at the age of 17 years and 24 days, a month before his debut with Spain. Ronald Koeman promoted him to the first team to which he said he felt then “the happiest child in the world” with his debut at the Camp Nou. Last summer, when he had already turned 18, Barça announced the renewal of his contract until 2026 with a clause of 1,000 million euros.