When Ivan Jovanović subbed him off, the Scottish crowd rose to their feet and applauded. Not out of politeness — out of respect. Konstantinos Karetsas, just 17, had already stolen the show with a world-class goal and a performance far beyond his years.
“Remember the name…” wrote UEFA — and how could you forget it?
Social media exploded, European outlets showered him with praise, and the UEFA official account dropped the iconic line: “Remember the name…”.
But in the middle of all the hype, Karetsas ran to hug his parents and whispered a simple:
“Thank you so much, I love you all.”
For his father, Vaios Karetsas, that was the real moment of glory:
“That hug left us speechless.”
Small in size, huge on the pitch
He plays with the confidence of a veteran, but never forgets where he comes from.
“Other kids were always taller and stronger. He’d get upset,” his father recalls.
“But now? He tells us: What’s there to stress about? I’ll just go score a goal.”
And tomorrow? He’s going back to school
Yup.
“He’s got class in the morning,” his dad says, pulling us all back to reality.
Beyond the pitch, Karetsas is a top-tier student in Belgium, studying economics — but his heart belongs to football.
Greek by heart, not by convenience
Born and raised in Belgium, he could’ve easily worn the red of the Belgian national team. He didn’t.
“We raise our kids as Greeks. Konstantinos always said, ‘Dad, if I ever have to choose, I’m choosing Greece.’”
The Greek FA didn’t push — they just spoke to him with respect. That was enough.
“He doesn’t kiss just any badge. Only the Greek one.”
200 goals in a year – and that was just the beginning
His first coach? His father. First team? A tiny Belgian club in the lowest league.
“Within a year, he scored 200 goals.”
And then came Genk, who signed him at just eight years old.
Social media doesn’t faze him – the pitch is his only platform
Karetsas doesn’t read comments — only friends can message him.
“We told him: this hype isn’t reality. Tougher days will come. Stay grounded.”
And he does. All he wants is to play football and enjoy it.
A kid who watched football instead of cartoons
“I told my wife: Look at him — he’s four and already watching football instead of cartoons,” his dad says, still amazed.
Konstantinos Karetsas isn’t just the next big thing. He’s a grounded, gifted young man with roots, heart and vision. And as long as he keeps his feet on the ground and eyes on the ball, the sky is the limit — right after school, of course.
