By Danjuma Amodu | 22 January 2026
Nigerian-born teenage sensation George Ilenikhena has rewritten the history books, becoming the youngest African to reach 15 UEFA Champions League appearances at 19 years and 157 days, eclipsing Nwankwo Kanu’s long-standing mark of 19 years and 260 days. In the same season, he also became Monaco’s youngest ever Champions League scorer, surpassing Kylian Mbappé’s record by netting at 18 years and 34 days against Barcelona.
The Lagos-born forward moved to France at the age of three and rose through the youth ranks at Amiens before a breakout stint at Royal Antwerp, where he netted a dramatic late winner versus Barcelona. He joined Monaco in July 2024 and has since become a regular fixture in both Ligue 1 and European competition, cementing his reputation as a prodigy on the continental stage.
Ilenikhena smashed Mbappé’s Monaco benchmark by becoming the club’s youngest ever scorer in the Champions League. At just 18 years and 34 days old, he netted the winner in Monaco’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona on 20 September 2024, edging out Mbappé’s previous record of 18 years and 63 days (set against Manchester City in 2017).
That strike not only secured three points for Monaco but also made him the first player to score against the same opponent in back-to-back Champions League games for two different clubs (Royal Antwerp and Monaco). It was also his first goal for Monaco since joining the club, having previously scored against Barcelona in December while at Royal Antwerp, making him the youngest Nigerian to score in the Champions League, beating Kanu’s long-standing record.
