Germany’s Cologne U-19 team were at the centre of a historic moment in the UEFA Youth League, as their match against Inter attracted a record-breaking crowd of around 50,000 spectators.
According to İdman.Biz, the round of 32 fixture filled the stadium to capacity, setting a new attendance record in the history of the tournament and underlining the growing interest in elite youth football in Germany.
On the pitch, Cologne’s young side, reigning German youth champions, put up strong resistance against Inter, who were widely regarded as favourites. The first half ended goalless, before Leonardo Bovio put the Italian club ahead in the 50th minute. Cologne responded late on, with Bundesliga-experienced midfielder Fynn Schenten equalising in the 80th minute.
The decisive moments came deep into stoppage time. Goals from Dilan Zarate in the 90+7th minute and Robert Kukulis in the 90+9th sealed a 3:1 win for Inter and brought Cologne’s Youth League campaign to an end.
Inter had also been involved in the previous attendance record, when their Youth League match against Trabzonspor’s youth team in April 2025 was watched by 40,368 fans. The Cologne fixture comfortably surpassed that figure, establishing a new benchmark and marking a significant milestone in the history of the UEFA Youth League.
