Move over Antoine Griezmann, you were not the only star of the Barcelona demolition work over Real Betis at Camp Nou, despite your brace and after-goal theatrics.
The night belonged as well, to the starlet thrown into the match by Coach Erneste Valverde in the 78th minute.
He is Anssumane Fati(playing name Ansu Fati), from Guinea Bissau, who replaced forward Carles Perez. Ansu is not 17 years old yet. He is 16 years, 300 days. Goal.com calculated the age to 16 years and 298 days.
According to Barca Times, Barcelona had to ask Ansu Fati’s parents’ permission to field him in the match because of La Liga’s restrictions on under age players in night games.
Ansu Fati, evades tackle from Real Betis player on Sunday
Ansu Fati: a soccer prodigy
Ansu Fati, who was with Barca’s U19 squad, made instant impression on the field. He even got in a strike in the 86th minute, but unlucky not to hit target.
(Watch Fati’s moment here:
His appearance on the field went straight into the record books, as the youngest player to appear for Barcelona in a competitive match since the 1941-42 season. Not even the magical Leo Messi who had spent all his playing years in Barcelona could boast of this.
La Liga Santander also took note of Fati and the import: “A star was born at the Camp Nou tonight”, it tweeted, noting that the young player was not just making record with FC Barcelona, but also in the league itself.
Ansu Fati with a Real Betis player
This is how Barcelona captured Fati’s history making moments:
From La Masia to the Camp Nou. Ansu Fati, Barça’s U19A player, has enjoyed a meteoric rise at the club which culminated in him making his first team debut against Real Betis on Sunday (5-2). At only 16 years 9 months and 25 days, the youngster from Guinea-Bissau entered the field in the 77th minute, replacing C. Pérez.
It means he is the second youngest player to play a league game with the Blaugrana behind Vicente Martínez, who did so at 16 years, 9 months and 7 days.
The youngest Blaugrana to make his debut with the first team in any official competition is Albert Almasqué, aged 13 years, 11 months and 6 days. The debut took place in the Macaya Cup on November 30, 1902 in Barça’s 0-2 win over Hispania.
Fati joined the Barcelona youth academy in 2013, when he was just 10 years old. He is naturally a left winger, but he can also fit in the centre or right wing.
He signed a four year-contract to play for Barcelona U19 in 2018. The contract will end 30 June, 2022.
Ansu Fati was brought to Spain by his parents, juts a few days after he was born. The family lived in Herrera, Seville. His older brother Braima was soon discovered by Sevilla. While Braimi played for Sevilla’s youth teams, Ansu started his career with Escuela de Fútbol Peloteros Sevilla.
Sevilla brought Ansu to join his brother three years later and before long the Fati boys were being scouted by Barcelona.
The duo joined La Masia in 2012 and while his age would have placed him with the Alevín B, Ansu instead hooked up with Japanese play-maker Takefuso Kubo for Alevín A. This trend of playing with older talents has continued throughout his days at La Masia.
He scored 56 goals in 29 league games in his first season in Catalonia, helping the Alevín A to the league title. Playing all across the attack, including as a central and attacking midfielder, Ansu’s attacking prowess has continued to excel as rapidly as his body has grown.
Read more about Ansu Fati in Barcablog.com
