Paris set new record with youngest-ever starting XI

Paris Saint-Germain not only continued their Coupe de France run with a 4-2 win over a valiant FC Espaly side last night but also established a new record in the process.

A new record was set last night at the Stade Marcel Michelin in Clermont, where Paris Saint-Germain put out their youngest-ever starting XI since the club's creation in 1970.

With 23-year-old Arnau Tenas in goal, 18-year-old Yoram Zague, 28-year-old Lucas Hernandez, 17-year-old Axel Tape and 20-year-old João Neves in defence, 18-year-old Senny Mayulu, 28-year-old captain Fabián Ruiz and 18-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery in midfield and 22-year-old Bradley Barcola, 23-year-old Gonçalo Ramos and 19-year-old Désiré Doué in attack, Paris's starting line-up yesterday evening had an unprecedented average age of 21 years and 327 days.

The club's previous record in this respect was established away to Le Havre on 16th August 2024 – the opening day of the current league season – when the following Paris XI, whose average age was 22 years and 192 days, started at kick-off: 25-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, 18-year-old Zague, 22-year-old Willian Pacho, 20-year-old Lucas Beraldo and 25-year-old Achraf Hakimi in defence, 18-year-old Zaïre-Emery, 24-year-old Vitinha and 23-year-old Lee Kang-in in midfield and 27-year-old Marco Asensio, 16-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye and 23-year-old Ramos in attack.

Meanwhile, the third-youngest starting line-up in the club's history also came this season, in the 4-2 win at home to Strasbourg on 19th October 2024, with an average age of 22 years and 308 days. This means that in 2024–2025 alone, Les Parisiens have thrice beaten a record that had stood since 28th May 1985, when, in a 6-1 defeat away to Nancy in their final league fixture of the campaign, they fielded a reserve team with an average age of 22 years and 314 days in order to keep their starters fresh for a Coupe de France semi-final against Toulouse.