18th September, 2019
Spain U17 manager David Gordo wants to bring FC Barcelona striker Ansu Fati into his squad for the U17 World Cup squad.
The tournament kicks off in Brazil in October, and Gordo wants Fati in his squad and he confirmed the RFEF are working on a deal to naturalise the Guinea-Bissau born teenager.
“I have not spoken to him, but I know that he wants to play for Spain.
“We are all in agreement and are confident that the situation can be sorted.
“Our preliminary list will be submitted to FIFA for the World Cup on September 25, and I hope Fati will be in it.
“We know that he has the possibility of representing Guinea-Bissau, but we are hopefully of agreeing a deal for him to play for Spain.”
Currently, Fati does not meet the requirements for Spanish citizenship, as he has only lived in the country for eight years, not the required ten.
Reports in Spain claim that his father could apply for citizenship, allowing Fati an alternative route to qualify for Spain.
Fasu on Tuesday night, at age of just 16 years and 321 days, officially became the youngest Barça player ever to play in a UEFA competition.
He thus outdoes Bojan Krkic, now of Montreal Impact, who was 17 years and 22 days old when he took to field in the 2007/08 Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais.
He became the youngest ever goalscorer in the league two weeks ago against Osasuna, he set more records during Barça’s 5-2 win over Valencia at Camp Nou.
The first of the records to fall came before even a ball had been kicked when the Barça number 31 was named in the starting XI. Thus, Ansu Fati became the youngest ever Barça player to be in the starting XI for a game at Camp Nou, beating Marc Muniesa’s record set in 2009.
Only Vicenç Martínez was younger in XI home and away when he featured at 16 years and 280 days in a Clásico against Real Madrid in 1941.
The best was yet to come as in just the second minute of the game against Valencia, Ansu Fati scored his first-ever goal at Camp Nou. Five minutes later he was back in the thick of the action when he created an assist for Frenkie de Jong to score his first goal for the club. As such, the striker became the youngest player to score and create an assist in the history of La Liga. A record for the ages.
His goal also means he becomes the youngest ever goalscorer at Camp Nou from any team.