Mauricio Baldivieso: 12 Year Old Genius

Ah, to be a pre-teen again and playing professional football. What?! Yes, you read that right. The very young Mauricio Baldivieso made his debut for Bolivian side Aurora last week, only a couple of days before celebrating his thirteenth birthday.

Football's youngest star is born

The youngest on record to ever grace the professional game, Mauricio came off the bench to play the final 9 minutes in a loss to La Paz. Kicked and fouled all over the pitch, Mauricio’s introduction included a nasty kick to the ankle, shed tears and calls for his daddy. Step forward former Bolivian international midfielder, Julio Cesar Baldivieso. The catch? Julio Cesar just happens to be the Aurora coach. Well, not any more.

With the South American media and football community outraged by the exposure of a pre-adolescent to ‘a man’s game,’ Aurora management demanded Mauricio not play again. Five days later Julio Cesar resigned from his post and took his prodigy with him, unable to accept being told whom to pick, especially when it comes to family.

Moral of the story? If you’re going to try and be the youngest professional footballer, it’s best to leave your green boots at home – they only help incite anger in the opposition. Take a look at Mauricio Baldivieso’s debut…