Youth World Cup

The FIFA World Cup among teams under 20 years old ( English FIFA U-20 World Cup ) ( Youth World Cup , World Cup among youth ) - an international football competition. The World Cup is hosted by the FIFA World Football Governing Body, and youth (no older than 20 years old) men's soccer national teams from all FIFA member countries can participate in it. The final stage of the tournament is held every 2 years.

The idea of ​​creating this tournament came up with FIFA President Joao Avelange after his election to this post. Avelange's proposal was supported by a majority of FIFA members. Out of 140 national federations, 87 countries voted for holding the youth world championship, against 16 (among them England , Scotland , Germany , Sweden , etc.) the rest were not able to express their attitude to the tournament. However, financial problems arose, which the American company Coca-Cola helped solve, which became the title sponsor of the tournament and remained until 1997 .

The youth championships began to be played since 1977 with a two-year interval. FIFA called the first two tournaments experimental. Only the 1981 tournament, which was held in Australia, received official status. However, journalists and football fans continue to report championships and champions since 1977. FIFA does not mind, and moreover, in its official bulletins published before the next tournament, it cites the technical data of the first two championships. The first winner of the tournament in 1977 was the team of the Soviet Union , which wrested a victory from the Mexican team in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

In the youth championship, as in adults, there is a constant rivalry between Europe and South America . At the moment, the score is 11:10 in favor of the youth teams of South American countries. Throughout the history of the tournament, only twelve teams became its winners. Most of all (6 times) the champions were the players of the Argentine national team , five times the trophy went to the Brazilian players , the Portuguese owned it twice, and the teams of the USSR , Yugoslavia , Serbia, Germany , Spain, France, England, Ghana and Ukraine .

Dozens of football players participating in the final stage of the FIFA Youth Cup, then replenished the national teams of their countries, growing into outstanding athletes. Here are the most famous: the Argentines of Burrucaga , Maradona , Aimar , Saviola , Messi , Riquelme , Brazilians Taffarel , Jorginho , Dunga , Bebeto , Romario , Ronaldinho , Portuguese Joao Pinto , Figo , Rui Costa , Spaniards Andonias Goicoe , Dutch, Andonias Gioicoe , Netherlands Robin , Ghanaians Samuel Kufur and Michael Esien , French Thierry Henry , David Trazege and Paul Pogba, Paraguayan Jose Luis Chilavert , Croatian Davor Shuker , Uruguayan Francescoli , such Soviet football players as Bessonov , Khidiyatullin , Zavarov , Protasrad , Ilenko , many.