International Football
VIDEOS: NIGERIA DOMINATES FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS
As Brazil readies for the 18th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, a new opportunity to make history arises for the 24 qualified teams and their players.
FIFA.com brings you a sampling of what’s at stake
when Brazil 2019 gets under way on 26 October.
The heavyweights
No country has won the U-17 World Cup more times than Nigeria, who enter this edition of the competition with five titles in tow, most recently raising the trophy four years ago in Chile. The Super Eaglets also won the inaugural tournament, hosted by China PR in 1985, and have appeared in eight finals.
Hosts
Brazil have been champions three times while appearing in five finals, though
the Brazilians lead the Nigerians in all-time competition wins, 53 to 46. These
are also the only two teams to successfully defend their titles: Brazil won
their second consecutively at New Zealand 1999 while Nigeria did it at Chile
2015.
The other repeat winners have been Mexico (2005, 2011) and Ghana (1991, 1995). El Tri are once again in the mix this time around, but the Black Starlets and holders England are out of the running, having missed out on qualification.
The newcomers
Three teams will be making their U-17 World Cup debuts: Angola, Senegal and Solomon Islands. A total of 82 associations have taken part in the competition to date. Of the 24 that have qualified exactly once, Switzerland are the only side to strike gold in their lone appearance, lifting the trophy at Nigeria 2009.
The two new CAF contenders enter a tournament rich with tradition of African excellence – seven of the 17 editions have been won by either Nigeria or Ghana.
Goals galore
Brazil’s Adriano, Mexico’s Carlos Vela and, more recently, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen have all walked away from the U-17 World Cup as top goal scorer and stepped up to their senior squads shortly after. Osimhen set the all-time record at Chile 2015 by finding the back of the net ten times.
Four players have netted two hat-tricks in the same tournament: England’s Rhian Brewster (2017), Côte d’Ivoire’s Souleymane Coulibaly (2017), France’s Florent Sinama Pongolle (2001) and Germany’s Marcel Witeczek (1985).
Where stars are born
From the 17 previous U-17 World Cups, 210 players have gone on to appear in a FIFA World Cup™, a list that includes stars like Carlos Tevez, Neymar and Son Heungmin. Only one in history has won both competitions: Brazil’s Ronaldinho. Spain’s Cesc Fabregas and David Silva came close to equalling that feat, but finished runners-up at the 2003 U-17 World Cup before becoming world champions at South Africa 2010.
The shortlist of players to appear at a U-17 World Cup and go on to win the senior World Cup isn’t short on star power: Emmanuel Petit, Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Xavi and Toni Kroos have all done it.
Fabregas (2003) and Kroos (2007) were each recognised as their respective tournament’s top players and awarded the adidas Golden Ball. Other recipients include USA’s Landon Donovan (1999), who went on to become the Stars and Stripes’ joint-top goal scorer of all time. Rising Manchester City talent Phil Foden earned the honour at India 2017.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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