With the 2022 Qatar World Cup fast approaching, HITC Sport have taken a look at where the eight youngest players to feature at Brazil 2014 are now – including Raheem Sterling.
Just eight teenagers featured at the 20th edition of the quadannual Fifa tournament, and the fifth held in South America. It was also the second edition that Brazil had hosted after the record five-time champions welcomed the footballing family to their country back in 1950.
Germany would emerge triumphant at the 2014 World Cup, with Mario Gotze scoring the only goal in the final against Argentina late into extra-time. The midfielder volleyed home past Sergio Romero to clinch his nation’s fourth, and most recent, title to level with Italy.
No teenagers featured for either finalist during the 2014 World Cup, with teens representing England, the United States of America, Ecuador, Belgium, Uruguay and Algeria. The Three Lions and Red Devils also called on players aged under 20 to debut at the World Cup twice.
Luke Shaw: England defender the youngest player to feature at 2014 World Cup
Luke Shaw became the youngest player to hit the pitch during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when Roy Hodgson fielded the left-back against Costa Rica. He first featured at 18 years, 11 months and 12 days during the Three Lions’ final Group D match, which ended goalless.
Costa Rica would represent England’s only point at the tournament, as they crashed out in the group stage. While Shaw played the full 90 minutes, after taking over the starting role from Leighton Baines, and he has gone on to reach 21 caps for two goals and eight assists.
Manchester United, meanwhile, bought Shaw off his academy side Southampton for £27m after he returned from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The 27-year-old has gone on to make 215 appearances for the Red Devils so far and has won Europa League and EFL Cup titles.
Julian Green: Midfielder made 2014 World Cup debut as Belgium beat USA
Jurgen Klinsmann fielded a 19-year, 25-day-old Julian Green off the bench as the USA met Belgium in the last 16 at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. The midfielder would repay the call by scoring in the 107th-minute, but would not overturn the two-goal deficit as they lost 2-1.
Green has gone on to reach 15-caps with the USMNT, but the 27-year-old has not played an international game since 2018. He also now plies his trade in Germany’s second-tier at Greuther Furth, whom he joined in an initial loan deal from Stuttgart back in August 2017.
Carlos Gruezo: Ecuador ace made only 2014 World Cup start vs Switzerland
Carlos Gruezo made his first appearance at a World Cup as Ecuador opened their 2014 run against Switzerland, at 19 years, one month and 27 days old. But the game also marked his only start at that tournament, and will now hope to add to his 45-caps during Qatar 2022.
The midfielder has remained a regular part of the Ecuador set-up over the past eight years. He had also secured his switch to Europe before the 2014 World Cup with VfB Stuttgart up until 2016 when joining FC Dallas, before heading back to Germany with Augsburg in 2019.
Divock Origi: Liverpool legend now at AC Milan after sealing Anfield move in 2014
Divock Origi agreed a move to Liverpool in 2014 after being one of the youngest players to feature at that summer’s World Cup in Brazil. The Reds paid LOSC Lille £10m to acquire the Belgian, who would become an Anfield legend after staying in France for one year on loan.
Marc Wilmots handed the forward his maiden showing in Brazil off the bench in a Group H win over Algeria at 19 years, one month and 30 days. Origi had only made his international debut a month before the 2014 World Cup, and now has 32-caps with three goals to date.
His time at Anfield, meanwhile, returned 41 goals from 175 games, before joining AC Milan as a free agent this summer. He also left with an FA Cup, an EFL Cup, a Premier League and a Champions League medal, after Origi scored iconic goals against Everton and Barcelona.
Adnan Januzaj: Winger now at Sevilla after Manchester United development
Adnan Januzaj followed Origi to be another of the youngest players to feature at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, when the winger started against South Korea aged 19 years, four months and 21 days. He has since gone on to reach just 15 caps, having often struggled to push in.
The Belgian will now hope to force his way into a more integral role ahead of Qatar after joining Sevilla in a free transfer this summer. The former Manchester United talent moved to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this August after leaving Real Betis after five years.
Jose Maria Gimenez: Uruguayan still integral at Atletico Madrid after nine years
Atletico Madrid signed Jose Maria Gimenez from Uruguayan outfit Danubio in 2014 and he remains key at the La Liga club today after 253 games. The centre-half has also earned 78-caps, including his World Cup bow at Brazil 2014 aged 19 years, four months and 30 days.
Raheem Sterling: Among youngest at 2014 Brazil World Cup, now at Chelsea
Sterling became one of the youngest players to feature at the 2014 World Cup, and is now at Chelsea after a £47.5m move from Manchester City in July. He had spent the past seven years at the Etihad for four Premier League titles, after leaving Liverpool for £49m in 2015.
The Kingston, Jamaica-born forward also has four EFL Cup and an FA Cup winners’ medals in his cabinet. Sterling has also made 77 appearances for England since his debut in 2012, including aged 19 years, six months and seven days against Italy for his World Cup debut.
Nabil Bentaleb: Algeria ace now in Ligue 1 at Angers after January 2022 arrival
Nabil Bentaleb came in from the cold after six months as a free agent by signing for Ligue 1 side Angers SCO in January 2022. The midfielder was without a club after Schalke axed him last summer four years after the German side signed him off Tottenham Hotspur for £16m.
Schalke initially hired Bentaleb on loan from Spurs – where he began his career within their academy. The 35-cap international’s senior Tottenham bow came under Tim Sherwood in 2013, before making his World Cup debut at 19 years, six months, 24 days against Belgium.
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