Advertisement

Odegaard becomes Real's youngest La Liga debutant at 16

Real Madrid's Martin Odegaard warms up during their Spanish first division soccer match against Getafe at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, May 23, 2015. REUTER/Juan Medina

Teenage Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard became Real Madrid's youngest La Liga debutant at the age of 16 when he came on as a substitute in the 58th minute of Saturday's final game of the season at home to Getafe.

Odegaard, who is 16 years, five months and six days old and joined from Norwegian top-flight side Stromsgodset in January, replaced league top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu as Real brought a disappointing season, in which they failed to win a major trophy, to an end.

Ronaldo struck three times, taking his tally for the campaign to 48 goals, in a 7-3 victory for the home side against their city neighbours as Real finished second, two points behind champions Barcelona.

Odegaard made his Stromsgodset debut at the age of 15 and became Norway's youngest international when he started against United Arab Emirates aged 15 years and 253 days in August, breaking a record that had stood for more than a century.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Ed Osmond)