Steven Gerrard says Michael Owen was better teenager than Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal

Updated: 24 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Steven Gerrard says Michael Owen was better teenager than Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal

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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has stirred the Ballon d'Or debate by claiming Michael Owen was a better teenage footballer than both Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.

Speaking to ESPN at the launch of the new Topps Premier League 2025/26 trading card collection, Gerrard said his former Liverpool and England teammate deserved recognition for what he achieved before the age of 20.

Well, the other two are chasing the Ballon d'Or and one's got one. So I think you'd have to respect the fact that Michael Owen has been voted the best player in the world.

I played with him. He was an incredible teenager. So I'd have to say Michael Owen [as the best].

Owen's Record-Breaking Teenage Years

Owen made his Liverpool debut in 1996 at just 17 years old and went on to score 40 goals in 79 Premier League games before turning 20 - more than any other teenager in the league's history.

In 1998, he netted 25 league goals in a single calendar year, a record that still stands for a teenager.

By 2001, Owen had won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup with Liverpool, and in 2001 he became the first Englishman since Kevin Keegan in 1979 to win the Ballon d'Or.

Mbappé and Yamal's Teen Triumphs

Mbappé famously helped France win the 2018 World Cup at 19, scoring in the final against Croatia, becoming the youngest player since Pelé to net in a World Cup final.

Now 26, the Real Madrid star is once again a Ballon d'Or contender.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Yamal has taken Barcelona and La Liga by storm, racking up 14 goals and 22 assists in all competitions since debuting at 15.

The young Spaniard could become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history if he triumphs this year.

The Ballon d'Or 2025 will be awarded on 22 September in Paris.

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