Big surprise! 42-year-old record broken at Atletico Madrid | Goal.com

Published on 20 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Diego Simeone made a bold call at the start of the new season with his starting line-up. At exactly 16 years, eight months and two days old, Dominguez, the son of a Spaniard and a Congolese woman, became the youngest debutant in the club's history. The defender beat the previous mark set by Jose Luis Martinez, who had held the record since 1984.

On the pitch alongside him was 34-year-old midfielder Koke. When he made his debut for the Madrid side on 19 September 2009, Dominguez had not even been born. He only came into the world on 21 December 2009. Koke has since racked up a remarkable 741 competitive appearances for Atletico.

Dominguez also settled quickly in the capital club's 2-0 win and showed his potential in the first 45 minutes in front of his family at the stadium. He had 24 touches and particularly caught the eye in the build-up, with all 13 of his pass attempts finding a team-mate. The teenager also looked to drive forward with three progressive dribbles.

Still, the newcomer paid his dues in the direct duels. Dominguez won only three of his nine challenges and stopped the opposing attackers four times only by means of a foul. At half-time, Simeone took off the promising youngster and brought on Marcos Llorente to add more experience to the contest.

"I'm incredibly happy and can hardly believe it - it all feels like a dream," Domínguez enthused directly after the final whistle about his historic bow. "I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity and excited about everything that comes next."

After the break, new signing Lee Kang-In (signed from Paris Saint-Germain) and Alex Baena secured the deserved win for Atletico.

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