Casey Phair has become the youngest player to feature at a Women's World Cup after coming on as a substitute for South Korea against Colombia on Tuesday. She is aged 16 years and 26 days.
The striker was born in the United States and was called up by the country at youth level but has now made her debut for South Korea. She came on in the 78th minute in Sydney and so trumped Nigeria's Ifeanyi Chiejine, who was 16 years and 34 days when she played at the 1999 World Cup.
Phair, born to an American father and Korean mother, is the first player of mixed-race to make the senior South Korean women's football squad.
Speaking a day before the Colombia game, South Korea's English coach Colin Bell said he was eager to protect the teenager.
"I don't really want to hype up a young player too much before she's even played," he said. "That's why I've been safeguarding her from the media."
