Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi shared his opinion regarding the Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman debates.
Fulham playmaker Alex Iwobi has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding English teenage sensations Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman, declaring the Liverpool winger as the superior talent following their recent head-to-head clash.
Speaking on a recent podcast appearance where Chelsea defender Levi Colwill was also present, the Nigerian international reflected on Fulham’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
During the conversation, Iwobi admitted his stance completely changed after directly facing Ngumoha. “Before I played Rio on the weekend, I’d say Max, but Rio… He was a handful, bro,” Iwobi stated, stressing that the young winger had Timothy Castagne on the strings.
Ngumoha’s dazzling display against the Cottagers was enough to convince Iwobi that the Liverpool prodigy currently edges out Arsenal’s rising star.
The two super teenagers
The glowing endorsement from Iwobi adds another layer to the rapid ascents of both Ngumoha and Dowman, who have fundamentally rewritten the historic record books during the 2025/26 campaign.
Arsenal’s phenom Dowman recently made global headlines on March 14 when he scored against Everton to become the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at exactly 16 years and 73 days old, breaking James Vaughan’s 21-year record.
Ngumoha has etched his own name into Anfield folklore; he became Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer when he netted earlier this season at 16 years and 361 days old and recently claimed the club record for the youngest league goalscorer at Anfield at 17 years and 225 days.
Meanwhile, Ngumoha’s continued excellence on the flanks has piqued the interest of the Nigerian football fans. Despite currently representing England at the youth level, the highly-rated winger remains fully eligible to switch his international allegiance and represent the Super Eagles of Nigeria on the senior stage.