South Korea’s Casey Phair becomes the youngest ever World Cup player at 16 years and 26 days of age

By ABBY HALPIN
Associated Press

SYDNEY (AP) — Casey Phair has become the youngest player in soccer World Cup history at the age of 16 years and 26 days. Phair went on as a replacement in South Korea’s 2-0 loss to Colombia in Sydney at the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday. Phair has an American father and a South Korean mother and was raised in the United States. She says “It was a scary moment, but then going on and running around, I think it just settled in.” The record was previously held by the late Ifeanyi Chiejine, who was 16 years and 34 days old when she played for Nigeria in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.