In the group stage of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Poland, news like an April fool’s day was reported. A young Norwegian player scored 9 goals in one game. The name of the boy who swung the net nine times with his blonde hair is now Elling Hollan (23), who has become a global celebrity as a ‘monster striker’. At the tournament four years ago, Lee Kang-in (Mallorca), the main character of the ‘Golden Ball’, which is attracting attention as a new growth engine for Korean football, was also present.
The 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is called a contest of global soccer prospective stars, opens in Argentina, the hometown of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, at the dawn of the 21st (Korean time) and starts a fierce battle on the 20th. As always, it is a stage where superstars who are not famous now, but who will rule the world soccer world in the next three to four years, show off their hidden potential to the world.
The lineage of U-20 World Cup stars goes back to Diego Maradona. The number of stars who became famous through this competition is uncountable. The FIFA official website introduces 56 U-20 World Cup players under the title ‘Before they became superstars’, and they are superstars you can recognize just by hearing their names.
From the most recent Elling Hollan, Son Heung-min’s soul partner Harry Kane (England), and Liverpool’s best goalscorer, Muhammad Salah (Egypt), are global stars produced by the relatively recent U-20 World Cup. If you go back a little further, the name of current Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez (Spain), who is a pass master, also stands out, and Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet (above France), and legend Davor Suquer, who placed Croatia in 3rd place in the 1998 World Cup France, are also under 20 years old in 1987. played in the world cup
Although not included in this list, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, the two greatest stars produced by this tournament, are also former U-20 World Cup MVPs. FIFA introduced on its website on the 19th that 50 of the players who went through the U-20 World Cup became World Cup champions.
Ronaldinho, Kaka, Antoine Griezmann (France), etc., Brazil’s ‘legend of ankle-breaking dribble’, were named. Above all, it is noteworthy that 13 Argentine players who lifted the championship cup at the 2022 Qatar World Cup were included. . 메이저놀이터 Of course, among them, Lionel Messi was named the highest as MVP of the 2005 tournament.
It is very meaningful that the tournament, which opens the day after tomorrow, will be held in Argentina, the world cup champion country in Qatar. Although they are still unfamiliar and youthful players in the eyes of football fans, players who will grow into global stars will surely be produced through this competition.
The Korean U-20 national team, led by coach Kim Eun-joong, will play its first group stage match against strong France at 3:00 am on the 23rd. Korean football dreamers dreaming of the ‘second Lee Kang-in syndrome’, such as striker Kang Seong-jin (FC Seoul), who has already been selected for the A national team, and defender Kim Ji-su (Seongnam FC), who is receiving a love call from Brentford in the English Premier League, After that, he was ready to have a major accident in the Under-20 World Cup.