U17 WORLD CUP
Osimhen and Nigeria 2009 graduates headlines FIFA U17 list of 13 stars
The FIFA U-17 World Cup has played host to some of the game’s finest players. The likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Ronaldinho and Cesc Fabregas have all touched down at the U-17 global finals, en route to enjoying storied careers at the very top of the game.
Here, FIFA takes a look at a selection of current superstars who took their first steps on the world stage at the prestigious tournament.
Victor Osimhen
Osimhen notched a record-setting 10 goals in 2015 as Nigeria romped to an unmatched fifth crown. He would enjoy stints with Wolfsburg, Charleroi and Lille, before helping Napoli to a historic league title as the division’s top scorer in 2023.
Did you know?
In 2022/23, his 26 strikes broke Samuel Eto’o’s record of goals by an African player in a single Serie A season, while also surpassing George Weah of the highest-scoring African to play in the division.
Neymar
Brazil’s record goalscorer first twinkle-toed his way on to the world stage during the 2009 edition. While he netted the first of his A Seleção goals during the competition, he couldn’t prevent a first U-17 group-stage exit in more than 20 years. He has since gone on to play for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, while winning an Olympic gold medal.
Did you know?
A petition to get Neymar in Brazil’s squad for the 2010 World Cup received some 14,000 signatures, but coach Dunga decided against picking the teenage sensation.
Mario Gotze
Elsewhere at the 2009 edition, ‘Super’ Mario netted three times, but was unable to prevent a last-16 exit for Germany to eventual champions Switzerland. He would make his Bundesliga debut shortly after returning from the tournament and the rest, as they say, is history.
Did you know?
Gotze would go on to score the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final as a substitute – the first player to ever do so – while becoming the youngest showpiece scorer since Wolfgang Weber in 1966.
Casemiro
Completing a trio of A Seleção stars from the 2009 tournament is midfield enforcer Casemiro, who featured in two of Brazil’s three group-stage games. He went on to enjoy a legendary spell with Real Madrid, winning five UEFA Champions League and three FIFA Club World Cups™ in the process, before moving to Manchester United.
Did you know?
Two years on from the disappointment of the U-17 finals, Casemiro was a part of the squad which lifted the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in Colombia.
Toni Kroos
A beacon of consistency throughout a career of many highs and few lows, Kroos rose to prominence when he scooped the adidas Golden Ball from the 2007 tournament, helping Germany to the bronze medal in the process. He went on to win trophies aplenty for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Did you know?
Due to his exceptional passing ability, Kroos was nicknamed Garçom or ‘the waiter’ during the 2014 World Cup.
Heungmin Son
Joining Gotze in the three-goal club of ‘09 was Tottenham Hotspur superstar Son. His trio of strikes helped Korea Republic to a joint-best quarter-final finish in Nigeria. The forward would enjoy spells with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen in Germany prior to a hugely-successful move to Spurs.
Did you know?
With 111 goals [as of 5/11/23], he is the highest-scoring AFC player in Premier League history.
Alisson Becker
Alisson also played in all of Brazil’s games at the tournament, though the shot-stopper supreme failed to keep a clean sheet at the tournament. He more than 10 years with boyhood club Internacional, before moves to Roma and Liverpool established him as one of the world’s top goalkeepers.
Did you know?
In May 2021, he became the first goalkeeper ever to score for Liverpool – as well as the first to net a winning goal in a Premier League game – when he scored against West Brom with a dramatic late header.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Barcelona legend Ter Stegen kept goal behind Gotze and Co during that disappointing 2009 tournament. He went on to play more than 100 games for boyhood club Borussia Monchengladbach, ahead of a 2014 move to Barcelona.
Did you know?
During the 2022/23 season, Ter Stegen set a new record of 26 La Liga clean sheets.
Marquinhos
Brazil enjoyed a better campaign in 2011 as they reached the semi-final stage, with Marquinhos at the heart of their backline. He joined Roma the following year before moving to Paris Saint-Germain just 12 months later, where he has remained ever since.
Did you know?
When Marquinhos joined PSG for a reported £27m in 2013, he was the fifth-most expensive defender in football history. Only Rio Ferdinand, Thiago Silva, Lilian Thuram and Dani Alves cost more at the time.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool icon Alexander-Arnold featured just once during those 2015 finals as England fell to a first-ever group-stage exit. He has enjoyed more success since then, however, lifting a number of trophies with the Reds and winning more than 20 caps for England.
Did you know?
Away from the pitch, Alexander-Arnold is a keen chess player and has faced world champion Magnus Carlsen in the past.
Phil Foden
Foden’s brilliance helped inspire England to title glory at India 2017. The Manchester City prodigy netted a brace in the 5-2 final win over Spain and was named as the tournament’s best player. Plenty more goals and trophies have followed in the time since with his boyhood club.
Did you know?
Foden wears the now-famous No47 on his back to pay homage to his late grandad, who passed away at the same age.
Aurelien Tchouameni
Tchouameni also travelled to the 2017 edition and helped France to a perfect group stage, only for a 2-1 last-16 defeat to Spain to end their trophy hopes. Moves to Monaco and Real Madrid followed as well as senior international recognition. He starred at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, helping France to the final, though he would miss his spot-kick in their shootout defeat against Argentina.
Did you know?
While now a towering midfield presence for both club and country, Tchouameni started his career as a striker.
Pedri
Chief among Spain’s new generation of midfield dynamos is Barcelona wonderkid Pedri. A technically gifted and well-rounded midfielder, he burst on to the scene during Spain’s run to the quarter-finals of the 2019 tournament.
Did you know?
Pedri left secondary school with top grades across the board, and was offered a scholarship to study medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
-FIFA
U17 WORLD CUP
No Nigerian on the list as FIFA unveils match officials for U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025
The FIFA Referees Committee has officially announced the roster of match officials who will take charge of games at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025, scheduled to hold from October 17 to November 8.
A total of 54 officials — comprising 18 referees and 36 assistant referees — from 36 different countries have been selected for the prestigious youth tournament.
However, once again, no Nigerian referee or assistant referee is among the six African officials listed, continuing a concerning trend of absence at FIFA women’s tournaments.
“It is always exciting for me when announcements such as this one are made, but this one is even more special than normal,” said Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “This year’s tournament is the first of the annual competitions to be played in Morocco over the next five years, and the first edition with 24 participating teams.”
Collina emphasised the importance of both players and officials gaining international exposure: “It is vital for young players to be given the opportunity to test themselves against the very best in the world in their age category.
“The same goes for match officials — this is an invaluable chance to learn, improve and grow in their chosen fields, all for the good of the game.”
One of the innovations for this edition will be the continued use of the Football Video Support (FVS) system — a cost-effective alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Unlike VAR, FVS does not employ dedicated video match officials or automatically review every critical incident. Instead, team head coaches can request limited reviews during match-changing moments such as goals, penalties, direct red cards, or mistaken identity. Players may also advise their coaches to initiate a review.
FIFA’s Head of Women’s Refereeing, Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, highlighted the growing impact of the tournament and its significance for women’s football.
“Morocco will be the home of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the next five years. The country shows such a passion for women’s football that we can’t wait for the tournament to start.
More diversity equals more opportunities for match officials to show just how much they are in tune with the game and its expectations.”
The 2025 edition marks a historic shift in the competition’s format, expanding the field to 24 teams for the first time — a move aimed at increasing global participation and development opportunities in women’s football.
While the expansion promises more opportunities for emerging footballing nations and officials, Nigeria’s continued absence from the officiating cadre raises fresh questions about the country’s investment in referee development at the international level, particularly in the women’s game.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Africa’s ten representatives for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 have been confirmed, following the conclusion of the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) play-offs on Saturday.
Egypt and Uganda claimed the final two African slots for the global tournament after crucial wins in the play-off round on Saturday, joining Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia as the continent’s flagbearers at the world stage.
The expanded tournament – the largest in the history of the U-17 World Cup – will feature 48 teams for the first time and will be held from 3 to 27 November 2025 in Qatar.
Uganda made history by qualifying for their maiden U-17 World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over The Gambia.
After conceding in under a minute, goals from James Bogere in the 13th and 33rd minutes turned the tide for the East Africans, who held firm to book a debut appearance on the world stage.
Later in the day, hosts Egypt delighted home fans with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Angola.
A deflected strike from Abdel Aziz El Zoghby and a second-half effort by Hamza Mohamed Abdel Karim sealed the ticket for the Pharaohs, despite Angola pulling one back late in the game.
The other eight African nations had already qualified by progressing to the knockout stages of the U-17 AFCON.
Among them are Senegal, defending African champions at youth level, and Côte d’Ivoire, who impressed with a resounding 4-2 win over Mali during the group stage.
Tunisia and South Africa also secured their places early after finishing strongly in their respective groups, while traditional powerhouses Morocco and Zambia return to the global stage with high expectations.
The U-17 World Cup has been a proving ground for future superstars including Michael Essien and Sammy Kuffuor, Nwankwo Kanu, Seydou Keita and Mahamadou Diarra.
Now, Africa’s new generation of talent will look to shine on the world stage and possibly follow in their illustrious footsteps.
With the continent’s ten teams now confirmed, the focus shifts to preparations and the final draw, as Africa prepares to challenge for global glory in Doha later this year.
-CAF
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The FIFA Under-17 World Cup will be held annually instead of biennially, with the next five editions from 2025 to take place in Qatar, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.
Like the senior men’s World Cup, the Under-17 tournament will be expanded to 48 teams, FIFA said.
The women’s Under-17 World Cup will also be played annually from 2025, with Morocco hosting an expanded 24-team event until 2029. The 2022 edition had 16 teams.
“This followed a global call for expressions of interest in hosting both competitions, with a focus on leveraging the use of existing footballing infrastructure in the interest of tournament efficiencies and sustainability,” FIFA said.
The last men’s Under-17 World Cup was held in 2023 with Germany winning their first title. Spain won the women’s edition in 2022.
Qatar hosted the 2022 senior men’s World Cup in winter while Morocco are one of the co-hosts for the 2030 edition.
FIFA also said a record $2.25 billion had been earmarked for the 2023-2026 cycle for investment in football development.
“Thanks to its solid financial governance, FIFA is well on track to exceed its budgetary target of $11 billion for the 2023-2026 cycle,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the FIFA Council meeting.
Infantino also called for the imposition of stricter measures to combat racism. Last month, he called for teams to face automatic defeat if their fans displayed racist behaviour.
“The 74th FIFA Congress will mark a milestone in FIFA’s ongoing efforts to fight racism with new and stricter measures to be applied worldwide in cooperation with all our member associations and the confederations,” Infantino added.
- World Cup1 week ago
BREAKING: At last FIFA’s Axe falls on South Africa!
- World Cup1 week ago
South Africa to Appeal FIFA Ruling Over Mokoena Eligibility Case
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Super Eagles Set for Double Friendly Showdown with Venezuela and Colombia in USA
- World Cup1 week ago
Sport Minister Orders Probe into SAFA over Bafana’s Costly Points Deduction
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Sanction on South Africa Offers Super Eagles a Lifeline — But a Lesson from History Looms
- CAF Confederation Cup1 week ago
Asante Kotoko End Kwara United’s Confederation Cup Campaign in Abeokuta
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Two penalty appeal lost as Flying Eagles stumble at first hurdle
- World Cup4 days ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers