Top 13 youngest players in the EFL Championship in 2026/27 | OneFootball

FLW looks at who the youngest players to feature on the opening weekend of the Championship season were

Every season, the EFL Championship houses several young, exciting stars with Premier League potential.

And looking at the second tier's opening day, that notion doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

From teenage sensations already trusted from the off to those on the fringes looking to inject some energy into games off the bench, here are the 13 youngest players to have featured in the Championship across the opening weekend.

11 ? ? Mamadou Doumbia and Lewis Orford - 18th February 2006

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We kick off the list with two people born on the same day, as Watford's Mamadou Doumbia and West Ham United's Lewis Orford both featured on opening day, having been born on February 18th, 2006.

Mali international Doumbia led the line in what was a very youthful attacking quartet for Alessio Dionisi in the Hornets' win over Southampton. The academy graduate already has over 50 Championship appearances for the club and scored four times last season.

Meanwhile, Lewis Orford looks set for a much-improved role in the Hammers' set-up upon their relegation.

The midfielder only has five senior appearances for the club he's been at since he was five years old, and two of them have come from the off this season, where he's played 90 minutes against both Portsmouth and Burnley.

Hopefully, any signings that West Ham inevitably make between now and September 1 don't limit any game time that the 20-year-old will receive this season.

10 ? ? Oscar Schwartau - 17th May 2006

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Danish Under-21 international Oscar Schwartau has well over 100 senior appearances throughout his young career thus far for both Brondby and now at Norwich City.

The attacking midfielder is in his third season at Carrow Road and still ranks amongst the youngest players in the division. Evidently, his future is very bright.

Philippe Clement only used him from the bench against West Brom, but before that, he started in the EFL Cup against MK Dons. With the amount of attacking quality at Norwich this season, the 20-year-old will likely be in and out of the starting eleven.

9 ? ? Ryan One - 26th June 2006

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A lot of Sheffield United and neutral fans alike are excited to see what Ryan One can do at Bramall Lane this season, following a loan spell where he netted five times in just seven starts at Lincoln City in the second half of last year.

The young Scotsman actually threatened to break into Chris Wilder's side during their 92-point campaign in 2024/25, making 12 league appearances and scoring once, and he's come off the bench in both games so far this year.

One was subject to a bid from Rangers this summer, but the Blades turned it down, outlining that they want to be the ones who benefit from the striker's potential.

8 ? ? Rio Cardines and Pedro Lima - 1st July 2006

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There's another case of players being born on the same day, as Rio Cardines and Pedro Lima share joint-eighth on the list.

Left-back Cardines is in the midst of his first loan spell away from Crystal Palace, arriving at Bristol City on a season-long loan deal.

The Stevenage-born 20-year-old has 11 senior caps for Trinidad and Tobago, made his Premier League debut on the final day of last season against Arsenal and appeared in the opening game of Palace's UEFA Conference League campaign against Dynamo Kyiv.

He made his debut off the bench for the Robins in their defeat against Millwall, but it surely won't be long until he's staking a claim for the starting left-back spot at Ashton Gate.

Meanwhile, Lima was technically younger when he made his first appearance this season, as he came off the bench for Wolves on Friday night, ahead of Bristol City's opener the following day.

The Brazilian Under-20 international made nine Premier League appearances last season, three of which were starts, and he'll be earmarked for more minutes this year.

7 ? ? Tom Atcheson - 22nd September 2006

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Blackburn Rovers academy graduate Tom Atcheson is set to have a big breakout year this season at the heart of the defence at Ewood Park.

The 19-year-old broke into the senior side last season, starting the final eight league games under Michael O'Neill, who then gave him his debut for the Northern Ireland National Team in March.

This summer, he's been handed the number six shirt, a sign of how much Tony Mowbray believes in his abilities, and he's played every minute so far under him.

At just 19, the first-team exposure at Championship level that he's being given will be priceless, and Rovers fans are understandably looking forward to seeing him improve as the campaign goes on.

6 ? ? Romelle Donovan - 30th November 2006

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Sheffield United will need a creative spark this season after Gustavo Hamer departed, and while it's unclear who his direct replacement will be, 19-year-old Brentford loanee Romelle Donovan will be expected to shoulder some of that load.

Whether it was at Birmingham City, where he came through the academy, Burton Albion during a short loan spell or Brentford, Donovan has shown glimpses of quality, and all he needs is regular game time to help that develop.

The Premier League side will hope that Sheffield United can be the place where that game time can be given, and with starts in the first two competitive games, it looks promising ahead of the rest of the campaign.

5 ? ? Ronan Kpakio - 25th May 2007

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Cardiff City academy graduate Ronan Kpakio only turned 19 in May, yet he already has four senior caps for the Welsh national team.

The right-back has to contend with Perry NG, one of the veteran heads in the Bluebirds fold, but still managed 18 starts in League One last season, and Brian Barry-Murphy makes sure that he gets off the bench more often than not.

The Cardiff boss' history of developing young talent will only bode well for Kpakio, and with exposure to the national team already, the only way is up for the 19-year-old.

4 ? ? Amin Nabizada - 21st June 2007

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Neutral fans who tuned in to Watford's opening game of the campaign against Southampton were likely questioning who Alessio Dionisi had on the right wing, but by the end of the game, everyone knew Amin Nabizada's name.

The 19-year-old Afghanistan international only had five senior appearances under his belt for the Hornets before this season, but performed well off the bench in the EFL Cup against Crawley Town and earned a start on opening day.

If his incredible solo goal against the Saints is anything to go by, Nabizada could become quite the main character in the Championship this season.

3 ? ? Mateus Mane - 16th September 2007

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And speaking of Championship main characters, a lot of neutrals who watched Mateus Mane burst onto the scene and be the only real bright spark at Wolves last season are looking forward to what the talented Portuguese wideman can do in the second tier.

The 18-year-old started all but one Premier League game in 2026, ending the campaign with three goals and two assists, and while he was rather frustrated against Blackburn on opening day, there'll be more times when he's got joy on the wing than not, you'd imagine, this season.

With just over a week remaining in the transfer window, as of writing, it looks like he's set to stay, and if he does, he'll be a problem for Championship full-backs this season.

2 ? ? Luke Brooke-Smith - 6th June 2008

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Portsmouth have invested in some youth this summer. They're also number one on this list, but Luke Brooke-Smith, their number two, is theirs to develop for the future, having arrived from Wellington Phoenix this summer.

Despite only just turning 18 in June, Brooke-Smith already has 33 top-flight appearances in the Australian top flight over the past two seasons, contributing a goal and two assists for Wellington.

His Championship debut wasn't the greatest at Fratton Park, being subbed at half-time with his side 3-1 down against QPR, but he has all the tools to be an exciting one to watch this season.