Alphadjo Cissè has written his name into European football history at just 19 years old.
The AC Milan teenager scored a hat-trick inside 49 minutes as the Rossoneri defeated RB Salzburg 4–0 in Austria, becoming the youngest Italian player to score three goals in a major European club competition match.
His first arrived after 15 minutes, when he met Omari Hutchinson’s cross with a header. Seventeen minutes later, Davide Bartesaghi picked him out for a left-footed finish. Four minutes into the second half, Adrien Rabiot supplied the opportunity for Cissè to complete his hat-trick with his right foot.
Three goals, each scored differently, on a night when Milan needed a response. Ruben Amorim’s side had opened their Europa League campaign with a home defeat to Benfica, making the trip to Salzburg an important early test. Cissè turned it into Milan’s first European victory of the season before Gonçalo Ramos added a fourth.
The achievement also carried historical significance for the club. Cissè became Milan’s first player to score a hat-trick in European competition since Filippo Inzaghi against Deportivo La Coruña in 2002, ending a wait of more than two decades.
His rise has been remarkably quick. After developing at Hellas Verona and making his mark on loan at Catanzaro in Serie B, Cissè joined Milan’s senior squad this summer. He has now delivered a record-breaking performance on the European stage, adding another significant milestone to a career that is gathering momentum.
For Milan, the victory restored confidence after a difficult opening to their European campaign. For Cissè, it established a place in the club’s history at an age when most players are still trying to establish themselves in senior football.
