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A 15-year-old midfielder dubbed the 'Mexican Messi' has become the youngest player to ever play in Spain's La Liga

Jun 25, 2020, 22:39 IST
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Luka Romero.Getty/Quality Sport Images
  • On Wednesday night, aged just 15 and 219 days, RCD Mallorca's Luka Romero became the youngest player in La Liga history.
  • The "Mexican Messi" came on as a late substitute as Mallorca lost 2-0 to Real Madrid.
  • Born in Mexico, Romero signed for Mallorca in 2015 despite having touted interest from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
  • Romero represents Argentina internationally, whom he qualifies for through his father, rather than his native Mexico.
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Luka Romero – remember the name.

On Wednesday night, aged just 15 and 219 days, the Argentine youngster became the youngest player in La Liga history as he stepped out for RCD Mallorca in its 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid.

Entering the field in the 83rd minute, Romero took the record from Francisco Bao Rodriguez, commonly known as Sanson, who was 15 years and 255 days old when he stepped out for Celta Vigo in 1939.

According to ESPN, Romero began training with Mallorca's first team last month after impressing with the youth ranks.

He was an unused substitute during Mallorca's games against Villarreal and Leganes, however, was finally handed his debut against Madrid.

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"What you have to try and do is reassure him. He's a 15-year-old boy," Mallorca manager Vicente Moreno told the club's website after the match.

"The most important thing is that he's there because he deserves to be. Before I walked in, I put my hand on his chest and he was going three thousand miles an hour. He's done very well and he's been very aggressive. If we're give him that stimuli, I'm sure he's going to grow."

So who is Luka Romero?

Romero was born in Durango, Mexico on November 18, 2004, where his father Diego Adrian Romero was playing for Mexican third division side Alacranes.

After his family moved to the Balearic Islands, Romero began playing for the youth academy at SD Formentera, where his performances attracted attention from both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

In 2015, aged just 10, he signed an eight-year youth contract with Mallorca, and went on to hit 230 goals in 108 matches during his first four seasons with the club, according to Mundo Deportivo.

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Romero has already been dubbed the "Mexican Messi" due to his playing style, which is eerily similar to that of the FC Barcelona captain. Romero is left-footed, short in stature, and is renowned for his mazy dribbling skills.

Like Messi, he has also chosen to represent Argentina internationally, whom he qualifies for through his father, rather than his native Mexico.

"My whole family is Argentine and my dream is to wear the national team's colors," he said in an interview with the Argentine Football Association in 2018, as per ESPN.

Read more:

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