Kevin Kesly It was one of the surprises on the first day of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League group stage. The Venezuelan footballer from Shakhtar Donetsk scored his team’s only goal in the 3-1 defeat against Porto. Beyond the negative result for the Ukrainians, the 19-year-old striker’s individual appearance in the competition went around the world because of his nationality and youth. This single-goal debut in the Champions League allowed Kesly to achieve a surprising record, featuring alongside stars such as Lionel Messi himself.
Kevin Kesly and his record after his first goal in the Champions League
Kevin Kesly made his debut as a starter in the Champions League when he was just 19 years old. He was born on July 27, 2004 in Valencia, Venezuela. His exact age at the time of his goal against Porto placed him among the youngest South American players to score in Europe’s top club tournament. At 19 years, 1 month and 20 days, the Venezuelan was the fourth youngest soccer player in the region to achieve this feat.
The former Mineros de Guayana share this record with other star football players. The youngest in history to date is the experienced Roque Santa Cruz. The Paraguayan scored his first goal in the Champions League when he was just 18 years, 2 months and 11 days old, against PSV while playing for Bayern Munich. The other two who surpass Kevin Kesly by months are Lionel Messi and Rodrygo, who also plays in the current edition of the tournament with Real Madrid.
Kevin Kesly played for the last South American U-20 team with Venezuela. Photo: Capture Twitter
How did Kevin Kesly come to Europe?
Kevin Kesly emerged from the minor divisions of the Mineros de Guayana. After a few seasons in the first Venezuelan league, the 1.93 m tall striker. He was hired by Boston River from Uruguay. Since this signing, Kesly’s rise to the elite of European football has been meteoric: just a month after his transfer, Shakhtar Donetsk bought him until 2027. So far this year he has already scored 7 goals (5 in the league, 1 in the Europa League, etc. ). 1 in champions).
How much is Kevin Kesly worth?
According to Transfermarkt, Kevin Kesly’s current market value is around 1.20 million euros. This is a significant increase from the 100,000 when he left Mineros de Guayana and moved to Boston River.