Munir El Haddadi announced himself to the soccer world Monday with a goal for the ages.
El Haddadi, a player in FC Barcelona’s youth system, scored from 60 yards away from Benfica’s goal in the closing minutes of the UEFA Youth League final.
Barcelona was leading Benfica 2-0 in the 87th minute when El Haddadi dribbled into the center circle, looked up and shot from behind the halfway line. El Haddadi caught Graca well off his line with the audacious effort, and the Benfica goalkeeper was powerless to stop the shot from floating into the goal.
El Haddadi, a Spaniard of Moroccan descent, lit up the Youth League by scoring 11 goals (and creating five more) in 10 games and saving the best for last.
The 18-year-old winger spent most of the season playing with Barcelona’s top youth team before earning promotion to the club’s B team in March.
Goals like this suggest that it won’t be long before El Haddadi takes his talents to Barcelona’s first team where he can display them to the world.
See El Haddadi’s long-range goal in the video below.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@YahooSG
