Look Out For These 7 Players in the Ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup

Look Out For These 7 Players in the Ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup
Credit: Iconsport

FIFA tagged the U-20 World Cup “The Tournament of Tomorrow’s Superstars.” But few know these superstars, their talent, and where they fit on a football field. We introduce you to a few special talents in the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup, players with the potential to become superstars and make a name for themselves in a few years.

Valentin Barco

Argentina

Valentin Barco was born in July 2004 in Veinticinco de Mayo, Argentina. He's a talented 18-year-old attacking left-back who plays for Boca Junior in the Argentine top division. The Argentine, part of the Guardian's ‘Next Generation List' of 2021, is on the radar of most European clubs. At the time of writing, Valentin Barco already had an assist to his name in Argentina's 2-1 opening-day win over Uzbekistan.

Wilson Odobert

France

This talented 18-year-old Troyes forward was born in November 2004 in Meaux, France. Odobert is an exciting player with a knack for scoring goals and has built a reputation as an exciting young talent in France. He has six goals + assists for his club this season and will be instrumental to how well France performs in this tournament.

Jude Sunday

Nigeria

Jude, born in October 2004 in Nasarawa, Nigeria, plays for Real Sapphire FC, Lagos. The Nasarawa-born winger showed his capability in the recently concluded AFCON U20 Cup of Nations, picking up the Man of the Match award in the third-place match against Tunisia.

After his match-winning performance for the Eaglets, CAF described him as “A star in the making”. Jude was also on the score sheet in Nigeria's 3-3 draw with Colombia before the FIFA U-20 World Cup commenced. The winger started Nigeria's opener against Dominican Republic, where they secured a 2-1 win.

Fabricio Díaz

Uruguay

Fabricio Diaz is a 20-year-old midfielder who plays for the professional club Liverpool Montevideo, a club based in Uruguay. He is a youth academy graduate of the same club and made his professional debut in 2020. Ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Díaz attracted interest from Barcelona, with Ronald Araujo, a fellow Uruguayan, reportedly playing a role towards his acquisition.

Andrey Santos

Brazil

Born in April 2004, Andrey Santos is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Brazilian club Vasco Da Gama on loan from Chelsea FC. He is a highly rated box-to-box midfielder and has been touted to make his Brazil national team debut soon. However, he could not help his team in their 3-2 loss to Italy in their opening match of the campaign.

Kuryu Matsuki

Japan

Born in April 2003 in Muroran, Hokkaido, Kuryu Matsuki is a Japanese midfielder employed with the Japanese side FC Tokyo. The 20-year-old started his career with the local side Muroran Osawa FC and made his first big move in 2022 when he signed for his current club. He's on the radar of European clubs and may make a move soon. At the time of writing, Kuryu Matsuki scored the only goal which saw his side edge out Senegal in their first matchup of the ongoing tournament.

Pape Demba Diop

Senegal

Pape Demba Diop is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Belgian Pro League club Zulte Waregem. He was born on 4 September 2023 in Ouakam, Dakar, Senegal. The 19-year-old Senegalese midfielder won the Umbro Golden Boot award for finishing top scorer in the AFCON U20 tournament with five goals to his name. Senegal will need his goal-scoring prowess to go far in this tournament. Unfortunately, Senegal has started the competition on a losing note.

This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago

Chandan Pandey
Chandan is a passionate writer, editor, and marketer with a love for football. He has bylines in leading online publications and has worked with renowned sports brands like The Olympics, Fox Sports Asia, and the Indian Super League (ISL). As for the unimpressive part, he loves Chelsea.
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