| Founded | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Region | International (FIFA) |
| Number of teams | 24 |
| Current champions |  Ghana |
| Most successful team |  Argentina (6 titles) |
| Website | FIFA.com |
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The Championship has been awarded every two years since the first tournament in 1977.
In the sixteen tournaments held, only eight nations have won the title. Argentina is the most successful team with six titles, followed by Brazil with four titles. Portugal won two titles, while Ghana, Germany, Spain, and formerly existing nations Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have won the title once each.
A corresponding event for women's teams, the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, began in 2002 with the name "FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship" and an age limit of 19. The age limit for the women's competition was changed to 20 beginning with the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship, and the competition was renamed as a "World Cup" in 2007 in preparation for the 2008 event.
The men's 2009 tournament was played in Egypt; the 2011 tournament will be played in Colombia.
Contents |
Qualification
This competition, which was also known as the FIFA Coca-Cola Cup until 1997, features 24 teams in the final tournament. 23 countries, including the defending champions, have to qualify in the six confederations Youth Championships. The host country automatically qualifies.
Results
Summaries
- Key:
- a.e.t. - after extra time
- PSO- match won on penalty shootout
Performances by countries
Below are the 28 nations that have reached at least the semifinal in the U-20 World Cup finals. Argentina is the most successful nation, leading with six titles, seven appearances in the final and one fourth place finish.
| Team | Titles | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
6 (1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007) | 1 (1983) | 1 (2003) | |
 Brazil |
4 (1983, 1985, 1993, 2003) | 3 (1991, 1995, 2009) | 3 (1977, 1989, 2005) | |
 Portugal |
2 (1989, 1991) | 1 (1995) | ||
| Ghana |
1 (2009) | 2 (1993, 2001) | 1 (1997) | |
 Spain |
1 (1999) | 2 (1985, 2003) | 1 (1995) | |
 USSR |
1 (1977) | 1 (1979) | 1 (1991) | 1 (1985) |
 Germany |
1 (19811) | 1 (19871) | 1 (19872) | |
 Yugoslavia |
1 (1987) | |||
 Nigeria |
2 (1989, 2005) | 1 (1985) | ||
 Uruguay |
1 (1997) | 1 (1979) | 2 (1977, 1999) | |
 Czech Republic |
1 (2007) | |||
 Japan |
1 (1999) | |||
 Mexico |
1 (1977) | |||
 Qatar |
1 (1981) | |||
 Chile |
1 (2007) | 1 (1987) | ||
 England |
1 (1993) | 1 (1981) | ||
 Poland |
1 (1983) | 1 (1979) | ||
 Colombia |
1 (2003) | |||
 Egypt |
1 (2001) | |||
 Hungary |
1 (2009) | |||
 Republic of Ireland |
1 (1997) | |||
 Mali |
1 (1999) | |||
 Romania |
1 (1981) | |||
 Australia |
2 (1991, 1993) | |||
 Austria |
1 (2007) | |||
 Costa Rica |
1 (2009) | |||
 Korea Republic |
1 (1983) | |||
 Morocco |
1 (2005) | |||
 Paraguay |
1 (2001) | |||
 United States |
1 (1989) |
- 1 = as West Germany
- 2 = as East Germany
Performances by continental zones
All continents except Oceania had made the appearance in the final match of the tournament. To date, South America leads with ten titles following by Europe with six titles and Africa with one title. Teams from Asia and North America entered the final match three times, but were disappointed by either one of the two traditional football power continents. Fourth place remains as the best result ever for Oceania, which was achieved in 1993.
| Confederation (continent) | Performances |
|---|---|
| CONMEBOL (South America) | 10 titles, won by Argentina (6) and Brazil (4) |
| UEFA (Europe) | 6 titles, won by Portugal (2), Spain (1), USSR (1), Germany (1) and Yugoslavia (1) |
| CAF (Africa) | 1 title, won by Ghana |
| AFC (Asia) | Runners-up (Japan, 1999), Runners-up (Qatar, 1981) |
| CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) | Runners-up (Mexico, 1977) |
| OFC (Oceania) | Fourth-place (Australia, 1991 and 1993) |
Awards
adidas Golden Ball
The adidas Golden Ball award is awarded to the player who plays the most outstanding football during the tournament. It is selected by the media poll.
| Tournament | Golden Ball Winner |
|---|---|
| 1977 Tunisia | Volodymyr Bessonov |
| 1979 Japan | Diego Maradona |
| 1981 Australia |  Romulus Gabor |
| 1983 Mexico | Geovani |
| 1985 USSR | Paulo Silas |
| 1987 Chile | Robert Prosinečki |
| 1989 Saudi Arabia | Bismarck |
| 1991 Portugal | Emílio Peixe |
| 1993 Australia | Adriano |
| 1995 Qatar | Caio |
| 1997 Malaysia | Andrés Nicolás Olivera |
| 1999 Nigeria | Seydou Keita |
| 2001 Argentina | Javier Saviola |
| 2003 United Arab Emirates |  Ismail Matar |
| 2005 Netherlands | Lionel Messi |
| 2007 Canada | Sergio Agüero |
| 2009 Egypt | Dominic Adiyiah |
adidas Golden Shoe
The adidas Golden Shoe is awarded to the topscorer of the tournament. If more than one players are equal by same goals, the players will be selected based by the most assists during the tournament.
| Tournament | Golden Shoe Award | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 Tunisia | Guina |
4 |
| 1979 Japan | Ramón Díaz |
8 |
| 1981 Australia | Mark Koussas |
4 |
| 1983 Mexico | Geovani |
6 |
| 1985 Soviet Union | Sebastián Losada |
3 |
| 1987 Chile | Marcel Witeczek |
7 |
| 1989 Saudi Arabia | Oleg Salenko |
5 |
| 1991 Portugal | Sergei Sherbakov |
5 |
| 1993 Australia | Henry Zambrano |
3 |
| 1995 Qatar | Joseba Etxeberria |
7 |
| 1997 Malaysia | Adaílton Martins Bolzan |
10 |
| 1999 Nigeria | Pablo Couñago |
5 |
| 2001 Argentina | Javier Saviola |
11 |
| 2003 United Arab Emirates | Eddie Johnson |
4 |
| 2005 Netherlands | Lionel Messi |
6 |
| 2007 Canada | Sergio Agüero |
6 |
| 2009 Egypt | Dominic Adiyiah |
8 |
FIFA Fair Play Award
FIFA Fair Play Award is given to the team who has the best fair play record during the tournament with the criteria set by FIFA Fair Play Committee.
| Tournament | FIFA Fair Play Award |
|---|---|
| 1977 Tunisia | Brazil |
| 1979 Japan | Poland |
| 1981 Australia | Australia |
| 1983 Mexico | Korea Republic |
| 1985 USSR | Colombia |
| 1987 Chile | West Germany |
| 1989 Saudi Arabia | United States |
| 1991 Portugal | USSR |
| 1993 Australia | England |
| 1995 Qatar | Japan |
| 1997 Malaysia | Argentina |
| 1999 Nigeria |  Croatia |
| 2001 Argentina | Argentina |
| 2003 United Arab Emirates | Colombia |
| 2005 Netherlands | Colombia |
| 2007 Canada | Japan |
| 2009 Egypt | Brazil |
External links
- Tournament archive at fifa.com
- FIFA U-20 World Cup at rsssf
- Squad listings of winning teams at rsssf
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
