Zimbabwean Teen Mheuka Sets New European Record with Chelsea

Shumaira Mheuka has etched his name in Chelsea’s history as the youngest player to start in a major European competition, doing so at just 17 years and 137 days.

The promising forward was included in the Blues’ starting line-up for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League round of 16 first-leg match against FC Copenhagen.

In achieving this milestone, he has surpassed the previous club record held by Joel Kitamirike, who started for Chelsea at the age of 17 years and 196 days in a UEFA Cup fixture against Hapoel Tel Aviv back in October 2001. Remarkably, that was Kitamirike’s only game for the club during an otherwise uneventful football career.

Before setting this record, Mheuka made his European debut against FC Astana on December 12, 2024. He took to the pitch for his Premier League debut on February 25, 2024, in a 4-0 victory over Southampton, where he played only for a minute after coming on as a substitute for Enzo Fernandez in the 90th minute.

In the match against the Danish side, Mheuka played the first half before being replaced by Christopher Nkunku, with Chelsea eventually winning the encounter 2-1.

Originally hailing from Birmingham, England, Mheuka has quickly risen through the ranks of the Chelsea Academy since his arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion following the conclusion of his Under-14s season.

During the 2023-24 season with the Blues’ U18 squad, he netted 12 goals in 20 outings across all competitions, including a memorable appearance at Stamford Bridge in the U18 Premier League national final against Manchester United.

On the international stage, Mheuka was a member of the England squad that competed at this summer’s European Under-17 Championship, where he scored in the opening match against Spain.

He marked his debut for the Under-19s with goals against both France and the Netherlands in October 2024.

Despite his ties to England, he remains eligible to represent Zimbabwe at the senior international level.