Nwankwo Kanu’s 30-year Champions League semi-final record is equalled by PSG youngsters Zaïre-Emery and Doué after Bayern Munich clash

Super Eagles legend Nwankwo Kanu has seen his long-standing UEFA Champions League record equalled after Paris Saint-Germain’s dramatic encounter with Bayern Munich.

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PSG teenagers Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué etched their names into European football history after starting the second leg of the semi-final at the Allianz Arena, helping the French champions secure a 1-1 draw and a 6-5 aggregate victory.

The result sent Paris Saint-Germain through to the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest, where they will face Arsenal.

While PSG’s qualification dominated headlines, the inclusion of both teenagers in the starting lineup also delivered a major statistical milestone.

According to data referenced from Squawka, Zaïre-Emery and Doué have now become only the fourth and fifth players in history to start four Champions League semi-final matches before the age of 21.

This achievement places them in an elite group alongside Kanu, Iker Casillas, and David Alaba, highlighting the rare level of trust placed in them on Europe’s biggest stage.

Kanu originally set the benchmark during Ajax’s dominant run in the mid-1990s, featuring in high-pressure semi-final ties against Bayern Munich in the 1994/95 season and Panathinaikos the following year.

The Nigerian forward went on to win the Champions League with Ajax, cementing his reputation as one of Africa’s most influential players in European football history.

For Zaïre-Emery and Doué, the milestone adds further weight to PSG’s growing reputation for developing elite young talent capable of performing at the highest level.

Their performances in the semi-final were widely praised, with both players showing composure and tactical maturity beyond their years as PSG secured their place in the final.

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The development has also drawn renewed admiration for Kanu, whose record has stood for three decades as a symbol of early excellence on the European stage.