Celestine Babayaro’s record as the youngest player to be sent off in the UEFA Champions League remains intact, but a new contender has emerged. Barcelona defender Pau Cubrasi, at 18 years and 42 days old, became the second youngest player to receive a red card in UCL history during Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the first leg of their UCL round of 16 tie.
The record, as recorded by football statistics website Opta, places Cubrasi directly behind Babayaro, who was sent off at 16 years and 86 days old while playing for Anderlecht in a 1-1 draw against Steaua București in 1994. Babayaro, who went on to make 16 Champions League appearances—scoring one goal and providing two assists—also featured in five UEFA Champions League qualifying matches, scoring one goal.
Babayaro later enjoyed a successful career with Chelsea (1997-2005), Newcastle United (2005-2008), and MLS side LA Galaxy (2008 onwards), winning the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup at Chelsea in 1998, among other titles. He was also part of Nigeria’s historic gold medal-winning team at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
Cubrasi’s dismissal adds a new chapter to this unwanted record, underlining the challenges that come with being a young talent in one of the world’s most competitive competitions.
