The youngest players to make their debut in the CONMEBOL Copa América™

• Fredy León represented Colombia in 1995 and was the youngest player in that edition at just 16 years old.

• Kendry Páez played in the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ at 17 and became the youngest Ecuadorian to play in the competition.

• Endrick made his debut in 2024 at 17 and became the youngest Brazilian to play in the tournament in the 21st century.

The CONMEBOL Copa América™ has been the stage for the beginning of great stories with national teams. Across different generations, several footballers played in the continental competition before turning 20.

From Colombian Fredy León in 1995 to Kendry Páez and Endrick in 2024, the tournament's history includes several young players who took their first steps in the competition at remarkable ages.

Fredy León, the youngest player at the CONMEBOL Copa América 1995™

One of the historical cases documented by CONMEBOL is that of Colombian Fredy León.

The footballer was part of the CONMEBOL Copa América 1995™, held in Uruguay, and was the youngest player in that edition at just 16 years old.

Colombia finished third in the competition.

León's record stands out among the historical records published by CONMEBOL, although the official source consulted does not state that he was the youngest player in the tournament's history.

Kendry Páez and a historic debut with Ecuador

Kendry Páez was one of the standout young players at the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™.

The Ecuadorian was 17 years and 47 days old at the start of the competition and was the youngest player in that edition. He started all four of Ecuador's matches.

His participation also set a record for his country: Páez became the youngest Ecuadorian to play in a CONMEBOL Copa América™ match.

The story did not end there. Against Jamaica, he scored from the penalty spot at 17 years and 53 days old, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the competition in the 21st century.

Endrick made his Brazil debut before turning 18

The same edition featured another standout youngster: Endrick.

The forward made his CONMEBOL Copa América™ debut against Costa Rica, coming on in the 71st minute at SoFi Stadium. He was 17 years, 11 months and four days old.

With that appearance, he became Brazil's youngest player to feature in the competition since Lucas Moura in 2011 and was later identified by official sources as the youngest Brazilian to play in the tournament in the 21st century.

Endrick also played in the CONMEBOL Copa América™ at a younger age than Pelé, who was 18 when he competed in the tournament.

Lucas Moura, another young Brazilian at the CONMEBOL Copa América™

Endrick's debut also brought another name from Brazil's recent history in the tournament back into focus.

Lucas Moura played at the CONMEBOL Copa América 2011™ at 18 years old. Until Endrick's appearance, he was the youngest Brazilian to play in the competition in the 21st century.

Thirteen years later, Endrick broke that record when he came on against Costa Rica.

Pelé and his participation at 18

Pelé also played in the continental competition at a young age.

Official information published by Copa América at the time of Endrick's debut stated that Pelé was 18 years old when he played in the tournament.

The comparison became relevant in 2024 because Endrick managed to play his first CONMEBOL Copa América™ match before reaching that age.

A new generation at the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™

The 2024 edition featured a significant number of young talents.

Alongside Kendry Páez and Endrick, the five youngest players to feature included Costa Rica's Andy Rojas, Canada's Luc de Fougerolles and Venezuela's Kervin Andrade.

Based on the players' ages at the start of the tournament, the official list was as follows:

Player: National team and age at the start of 2024

Kendry Páez, Ecuador – 17 years, 47 days

Endrick, Brazil – 17 years, 334 days

Andy Rojas, Costa Rica – 18 years, 197 days

Luc de Fougerolles, Canada – 18 years, 252 days

Kervin Andrade, Venezuela – 19 years, 68 days

The criteria used by Copa América for this ranking took each player's age at the start of the competition, on June 20, 2024, and included only players who featured in at least one match.

In total, 12 U-20 players took part in that edition.

Youth and talent in the history of the CONMEBOL Copa América™

From 16-year-olds such as Fredy León to the recent appearances of Kendry Páez and Endrick, different generations have found in the CONMEBOL Copa América™ a stage on which to begin writing their stories with their national teams.

The official records available allow us to identify some of these cases, although they do not establish a complete ranking of the youngest players to make their debut across the 48 editions played through