Arsenal teen Lewis-Skelly closes in on Kanu’s Champions League record

Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly has moved closer to matching a long-standing UEFA Champions League record held by Nigerian football legend Nwankwo Kanu.

The teenager has now started three Champions League semi-final matches, placing him among the youngest players to achieve the feat in the competition’s history.

According to statistics platform Squawka, only former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Kanu have recorded more semi-final starts as teenagers, with both making four.

Lewis-Skelly’s latest appearance came in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, where he played 74 minutes as the Gunners secured their first Champions League final appearance in 20 years.

Kanu set his mark during Ajax’s successful European campaigns in the mid-1990s.

The Nigerian forward joined the Dutch club after impressing at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship and made his Champions League debut in September 1994.

Ajax reached the semi-finals that season and defeated Bayern Munich 5-2 on aggregate, with Kanu featuring in both matches.

He was also part of the squad that defeated AC Milan in the final, coming on as a substitute.

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Kanu increased his semi-final appearances tally during the 1995/96 season after starting both legs against Panathinaikos as Ajax advanced to another final.

He also started and completed the final against Juventus, which Ajax lost on penalties.

The former Super Eagles captain later finished his Champions League career with 60 appearances, the highest total by a Nigerian player in the competition.

Kanu went on to play for Inter Milan before joining Arsenal in 1998, where he became part of the club’s famous Invincibles squad that won the Premier League title in 2004.

One of Kanu’s Champions League milestones, however, has already been surpassed in recent years.

Lagos-born striker George Ilenikhena became the youngest African player to reach 15 Champions League appearances after achieving the feat at 19 years and 157 days while playing for AS Monaco.

The milestone came shortly before his move to Al-Ittihad following Monaco’s 6-1 defeat to Real Madrid in January 2026.

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