Aston Villa’s Brian Madjo Becomes Youngest Goalscorer in Super Cup History

Search engines were flooded with the question “Who is Brian Madjo?” on Wednesday night, as the 17-year-old striker for Aston Villa made headlines by becoming the youngest goalscorer in Super Cup history.

The towering 6ft 4in Madjo outmuscled defender Willian Pacho before unleashing a one-touch volley past PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov just before half-time. Although PSG won the trophy, Madjo’s impressive first-half performance remained the highlight of the match.

Madjo had already demonstrated his goal-scoring potential in the match; he had previously threatened PSG’s defense, missing one shot and hitting the post with another. His goal marked the first professional score of a career that Aston Villa hopes will be filled with many more.

This moment was a long time coming for Villa, who signed Madjo in January. Due to FIFA regulations concerning the international transfer of under-18 players, he was initially unable to play for the club.

Villa appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing that Madjo was merely returning to the UK after being born in Enfield, North London, to Cameroonian parents before relocating abroad as a child.

His father, Guy Madjo, embarked on a nomadic football career in England’s lower leagues, playing for Shrewsbury Town at the time of Brian’s birth. Guy Madjo fled to West Africa following his conviction for sexual assault in the UK and subsequently served three-and-a-half years on the run.

Brian Madjo grew up in Luxembourg, signing with French Ligue 1’s FC Metz at age 14 after impressing while playing for the youth team at Racing Union. His talent shone through as he scored 13 goals in 26 appearances for Metz’s under-19s, earning his professional debut at just 16 years and 217 days old.

Several English clubs, including Chelsea, showed interest in Madjo, but Villa secured his signature, partly due to manager Unai Emery’s enthusiasm after watching his highlights. They paid £10 million for the striker, signing him on his 17th birthday.

“I’m really happy to be at this beautiful club,” Madjo stated. “The project was one for me, the environment is very good, and the coaching staff will help me to improve. This is a great opportunity for me because it’s going to make me grow.”

While a legal battle unfolded behind the scenes, Madjo excelled in first-team training, scoring four goals in pre-season friendlies this summer. These performances led to him starting against PSG after the successful appeal to CAS, where he showcased his skills against the European champions.

Emery noted, “He played because he was showing us his capacity to work and be demanding. It’s not just about scoring goals; it’s about defending and having commitment and discipline tactically.” Madjo’s consistent displays in pre-season set high expectations for his performance.

Defender Tyrone Mings characterized Madjo as “a big old boy,” while Matty Cash described him as “a beast.” With his recent form and a shift in allegiance to English youth teams, Madjo looks poised to become a future international star.

As Villa gears up for their Premier League season opener against Brighton, questions remain whether Madjo will start, especially with Ollie Watkins returning to club action after the World Cup. He may be young, but evidence suggests he is ready for the challenge.

Who is Brian Madjo? Those words were being typed into search engines all over the world on Wednesday night after Aston Villa’s 17-year-old striker became the youngest goalscorer in Super Cup history.

The 6ft 4in Madjo outmuscled experienced defender Willian Pacho before firing a one-touch volley past Matvey Safonov in the PSG goal moments before half-time. PSG went on to win the trophy, but Madjo’s first-half display was the highlight of the night.

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His goal was hardly a surprise after finding threatening positions twice earlier in the game, only to miss the target with one effort and hit the post with another. Finally he broke PSG’s resistance, scoring the first professional goal of what Villa hope is a long career full of them.

It was a goal Villa had been waiting on for eight months, having signed Madjo back in January. Madjo, who has three senior international caps for Luxembourg, was initially restricted from playing for Villa due to Fifa’s rules, which prohibit the international transfer of players under 18.

Villa appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for an exemption to the ruling, on the basis that Madjo was simply returning to the UK, having been born in Enfield, North London, to Cameroonian parents, before moving abroad as a child.

His father, Guy Madjo, left Cameroon aged 20 to embark on a nomadic career as a striker in English football’s lower leagues, and was playing for Shrewsbury Town at the time of Brian’s birth.

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Guy Madjo fled to West Africa after being arrested for sexually assaulting a woman in his home in Grayshott, Hampshire. He was tried in absentia at Winchester Crown Court and jailed for three-and-a-half years, but has never returned to the UK. He was reported to be playing for clubs in Gabon around the time of his conviction.

Brian Madjo grew up in Luxembourg and was playing for the youth team of local club Racing Union when he was scouted by French Ligue 1 side FC Metz, 25 miles south of the border, aged 14.

At 16, Madjo was so impressive for Metz’s under-19s – scoring 13 goals in 26 games – that he was rewarded with a professional contract. He became the club’s youngest player when he appeared in a Ligue 1 game aged 16 years and 217 days.

L’Equipe reported several English clubs were closely monitoring Madjo, including Chelsea. But Villa pushed to the front of the queue, partly due to manager Unai Emery’s personal enthusiasm after watching clips of Madjo play, according to The Athletic.

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Madjo had only played five senior games for Metz, without scoring. Yet his stature was striking, “built like a rock” according to Luxembourg outlet Virgule, and a “physical monster”.

“His profile is similar [to Romelu Lukaku],” Luxembourg’s technical director Manuel Cardoni said last year. “But, even if we are keeping our feet on the ground, Brian has a more complete profile [than Lukaku], because he is good in tight spaces, really good in terms of positional play. He is also good in terms of going in behind, and he can also feed the ball with both feet. He has huge room for growth.”

Villa were prepared to pay £10m and secured the forward’s signature on his 17th birthday. “I’m really happy to be at this beautiful club,” he said. “The project was the one for me, the environment is very good for me and the coaching staff will help me to improve.

“This is a great opportunity for me because it’s going to make me grow.”

While a legal battle ensued in the background, Madjo impressed in first-team training, and this summer he has been outstanding, scoring four goals in friendlies.

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Those performances encouraged Emery to start the teenager against PSG, after Villa’s appeal to CAS was upheld, and Madjo was unfazed by the European champions.

“He played because he was showing us his capacity to work and be demanding,” said Emery. “It is not just about scoring goals, it’s about defending and how he has the commitment and discipline tactically. He was doing that.

“I wanted to play with young players and watch their progression. Brian started scoring goals [in pre-season] against Walsall and Real Sociedad. Now the reality is we have shown their capacity, but they have to keep being consistent, demanding and keep performing at the level they were.”

Defender Tyrone Mings described Madjo after the game as “a big old boy”, and Matty Cash added: “He’s a beast.”

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Madjo is set to be a future England international after switching allegiance from Luxembourg to the English youth teams last year, with four goals already for England’s Under-17s.

The question now is whether he starts in the Premier League next weekend at Brighton, when Villa’s season begins, while Ollie Watkins is eased back to club football after the World Cup. Madjo is young, but on this evidence he is ready.