Mile Svilar


Mile Svilar is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club Benfica as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Anderlecht

As the third choice goalkeeper, Svilar was part of the Anderlecht first squad during 2016–17 season but he did not appear in any game.

Benfica

Svilar signed a five-year contract with Portuguese champions Benfica on 28 August 2017. On 14 October, he made his debut with the club in a 1–0 victory over Olhanense, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to ever play for Benfica. In international competition, he broke Iker Casillas's record as the youngest goalkeeper to ever play in the Champions League on 18 October 2017, in a 1–0 home defeat to Manchester United, aged 18 years and 52 days. In the return leg against the English side, aged 18 years and 65 days, he became the youngest goalkeeper ever to save a penalty in a Champions League match. In the same match, which ended in a 2–0 away defeat, he also became the youngest player ever to score an own goal in the competition.

International career

Youth

Svilar was a member of Belgium U-16, Belgium U-17, Belgium U-18 national teams and was also a member of Belgium U-19. He was the first choice goalkeeper for the Belgium U-17 team at the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Azerbaijan.

Senior

Born in Belgium to a Serbian father and a Belgian mother, Svilar is eligible to represent Belgium or Serbia. On 4 November 2017, he announced that he would play his first game for the Serbia national team in March 2018, as he accepted the call from the Football Association of Serbia.

Career statistics

Club

Honours

Anderlecht
Benfica
Svilar has a Serbian passport. His father, Ratko, is a former Serbian goalkeeper.