Mezian Mesloub, a 16-year-old forward who plays for French club Lens, set up the equalising goal as his side came back from a goal down to beat Slavia Prague 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Lens had trailed 1-0 before fighting back to win 3-2, with Mesloub providing the assist for the equaliser. Mesloub, who turns 17 in November, is now being compared to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. The two are the only players to have registered an assist in the Champions League before turning 17.
Record-breaking Champions League debut
Mesloub needed just half an hour on the pitch to become the third youngest player ever to make his Champions League debut, doing so at 16 years and 306 days old.
He was also Lens's most productive player on the night, creating the most chances of anyone on the pitch (four), ranking third for passes completed (five) and fourth for successful dribbles.
Lens teammates and the club's coach praised him in glowing terms after the final whistle.
Family ties and national team choice
Mesloub's story runs deeper than one match. His father, Walid Mesloub, played seven times for Algeria's national team.
Like Yamal, the teenager is eligible to represent more than one country. Mesloub was born in France, which makes him eligible for the French national team. Through his mother's Portuguese origins he could also play for Portugal, for whom he has already appeared at Under-17 level, while he is also entitled to follow his father and play for Algeria. He is expected to have to decide before long which country's shirt he will wear.
Wednesday's performance was not Mesloub's first headline moment. In May 2026, in his first appearance as a professional, he scored a goal just 11 seconds after coming on, celebrating in front of the Bollaert stand, the home end at Lens's Stade Bollaert-Delelis known for its passionate supporters.
