Dortmund prodigy, 14, already setting sights on Ballon d'Or

BERLIN - A German soccer wunderkind, who only turned 14 on Tuesday, says his goal is to one day lift the Champions League trophy with Borussia Dortmund and win the Ballon d'Or.

Burly teenager Youssoufa Moukoko, a goal machine in German youth soccer, is already well on his way to a professional contract with Dortmund, the current Bundesliga leader.

He has scored 22 goals in 12 games for its Under-17s this season - including four hat-tricks - and notched four goals and two assists, in a 10-0 romp over Hennef last month.

"If I am honest, my aim is to be a professional footballer with Dortmund, lift the Champions League with Borussia and win the Ballon d'Or," Moukoko told German magazine Sport Bild in his first interview.

His breakthrough last season was staggering.

As a 13-year-old, he netted 40 goals in 28 games to help Dortmund's juniors win the Under-17 league title, scored the winner in June's 3-2 cup final triumph over Bayern Munich and also played for Germany's Under-16 national team.

However, it is at least three years before Moukoko can make his Bundesliga debut as the minimum age is 17 - and then only with special exemption.

Even though he is much younger than most of his teammates, defenses struggle to cope with the robust Cameroon-born teenager.

However, doubts about his true age persist.

According to his official certificate, issued at the German consulate in Yaounde, his date of birth is Nov 20, 2004, but he admits the constant speculation over its authenticity annoys him.

"Last season was hard for me, with that whole story. I can't do anything about the fact things have gone so well," said Moukoko, who joined Dortmund from Hamburg-based second-division side St. Pauli in 2017.

Nevertheless, he has tried to play down expectations.

"I have plenty of time to develop. The next thing I want to do is play for the (Dortmund) Under-19 team," he said.

"We'll see after that. Not everything has to go so fast."

Agence France - Presse