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.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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