kids encyclopedia robot

FIFA U-20 World Cup facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's association football tournament. For the women's tournament, see FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Quick facts for kids
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Fifa worldcup u20 trophy.png
The trophy awarded since 2013
Organising body FIFA
Founded 1977; 48 years ago (1977)
Region Worldwide
Number of teams 24 (finals)
Related competitions FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Current champions  Morocco (1st title)
Most successful team(s)  Argentina (6 titles)

The FIFA U-20 World Cup is a big international football tournament for young male players. Teams from countries all over the world compete, and all players must be under 20 years old. This exciting competition happens every two years. It started in 1977 in Tunisia, and back then it was called the FIFA World Youth Championship. The name changed to FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007. Many famous football stars, like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba, and Erling Haaland, have played in this tournament before they became global legends. The current champions are Morocco, who won their first title at the 2025 tournament held in Chile.

Tournament History

Over the years, many countries have competed for the FIFA U-20 World Cup trophy. So far, twelve different nations have won the title. The team with the most wins is Argentina U20, with an amazing six titles! Close behind them is Brazil U20, who have won five times. Other teams like Portugal U20 and Serbia U20 have won twice. Many other countries, including Ghana U20, Germany U20, Spain U20, France U20, England U20, Ukraine U20, Russia U20 (when they were the USSR U20), and Uruguay U20, have each won the championship once.

There's also a similar tournament for young women, called the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. It started in 2002 and also features players under 20 years old. The 2025 edition of the women's tournament was held in Chile.

How Teams Qualify

A total of 24 national teams get to play in the final tournament. One spot is always given to the country that hosts the World Cup, so they automatically qualify. The other 23 teams have to earn their place through special youth championships held in their own regions.

There are six main football regions, called confederations, around the world. Each confederation holds its own tournament for young players. The best teams from these regional championships then get to go to the FIFA U-20 World Cup!

Confederation (Region) Qualifying Championship
AFC (Asia) AFC U-20 Asian Cup
CAF (Africa) U-20 Africa Cup of Nations
CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) CONCACAF Under-20 Championship
CONMEBOL (South America) CONMEBOL Sub 20
UEFA (Europe) UEFA European Under-19 Championship
OFC (Oceania) OFC U-19 Men's Championship

Tournament Results

Here you can see the winners and finalists of each FIFA U-20 World Cup tournament since it began. It's exciting to see which countries have lifted the trophy over the years!

  • 1977–2005: "FIFA World Youth Championship" (the old name)
  • 2007–present: "FIFA U-20 World Cup" (the current name)
  • a.e.t.: after extra time (when a game goes longer than usual)
  • p: match won on penalties (when teams take turns shooting from the penalty spot to decide a winner)
Ed. Year Host Final Third place match N°
teams
1 Champions Score 2 Runners-up 3 Third place Score Fourth place
1 1977  Tunisia
Soviet Union		 2–2 (aet)
(9–8 p)
Mexico
Brazil		 4–0
Uruguay		 16
2 1979  Japan
Argentina		 3–1
Soviet Union
Uruguay		 1–1 (aet)
(5–3 p)
Poland		 16
3 1981  Australia
West Germany		 4–0
Qatar
Romania		 1–0
England		 16
4 1983  Mexico
Brazil		 1–0
Argentina
Poland		 2–1 (aet)
South Korea		 16
5 1985  Soviet Union
Brazil		 1–0 (aet)
Spain
Nigeria		 0–0 (aet)
(3–1 p)
Soviet Union		 16
6 1987  Chile
Yugoslavia		 1–1 (aet)
(5–4 p)
West Germany
East Germany		 1–1 (aet)
(3–1 p)
Chile		 16
7 1989  Saudi Arabia
Portugal		 2–0
Nigeria
Brazil		 2–0
United States		 16
8 1991  Portugal
Portugal		 0–0 (aet)
(4–2 p)
Brazil
Soviet Union		 1–1 (aet)
(5–4 p)
Australia		 16
9 1993  Australia
Brazil		 2–1
Ghana
England		 2–1
Australia		 16
10 1995  Qatar
Argentina		 2–0
Brazil
Portugal		 3–2
Spain		 16
11 1997  Malaysia
Argentina		 2–1
Uruguay
Republic of Ireland		 2–1
Ghana		 24
12 1999  Nigeria
Spain		 4–0
Japan
Mali		 1–0
Uruguay		 24
13 2001  Argentina
Argentina		 3–0
Ghana
Egypt		 1–0
Paraguay		 24
14 2003  United Arab Emirates
Brazil		 1–0
Spain
Colombia		 2–1
Argentina		 24
15 2005  Netherlands
Argentina		 2–1
Nigeria
Brazil		 2–1
Morocco		 24
16 2007  Canada
Argentina		 2–1
Czech Republic
Chile		 1–0
Austria		 24
17 2009  Egypt
Ghana		 0–0 (aet)
(4–3 p)
Brazil
Hungary		 1–1 (aet)
(2–0 p)
Costa Rica		 24
18 2011  Colombia
Brazil		 3–2 (aet)
Portugal
Mexico		 3–1
France		 24
19 2013  Turkey
France		 0–0 (aet)
(4–1 p)
Uruguay
Ghana		 3–0
Iraq		 24
20 2015  New Zealand
Serbia		 2–1 (aet)
Brazil
Mali		 3–1
Senegal		 24
21 2017  South Korea
England		 1–0
Venezuela
Italy		 0–0 (aet)
(4–1 p)
Uruguay		 24
22 2019  Poland
Ukraine		 3–1
South Korea
Ecuador		 1–0 (aet)
Italy		 24
23 2023  Argentina
Uruguay		 1–0
Italy
Israel		 3–1
South Korea		 24
24 2025  Chile
Morocco		 2–0
Argentina
Colombia		 1–0
France		 24
25 2027  Azerbaijan
 Uzbekistan		 24

Top Teams in the Tournament

This table shows which teams have been the most successful, reaching the top four places in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Team Titles Runners-up Third place Fourth place
 Argentina 6 (1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007) 2 (1983, 2025) 1 (2003)
 Brazil 5 (1983, 1985, 1993, 2003, 2011) 4 (1991, 1995, 2009, 2015) 3 (1977, 1989, 2005)
 Portugal 2 (1989, 1991) 1 (2011) 1 (1995)
 Serbia1 2 (1987, 2015)
 Uruguay 1 (2023) 2 (1997, 2013) 1 (1979) 3 (1977, 1999, 2017)
 Ghana 1 (2009) 2 (1993, 2001) 1 (2013) 1 (1997)
 Spain 1 (1999) 2 (1985, 2003) 1 (1995)
 Russia2 1 (1977) 1 (1979) 1 (1991) 1 (1985)
 Germany3 1 (1981) 1 (1987)
 England 1 (2017) 1 (1993) 1 (1981)
 France 1 (2013) 2 (2011, 2025)
 Morocco 1 (2025) 1 (2005)
 Ukraine 1 (2019)
 Nigeria 2 (1989, 2005) 1 (1985)
 Italy 1 (2023) 1 (2017) 1 (2019)
 Mexico 1 (1977) 1 (2011)
 South Korea 1 (2019) 2 (1983, 2023)
 Qatar 1 (1981)
 Japan 1 (1999)
 Czech Republic 1 (2007)
 Venezuela 1 (2017)
 Mali 2 (1999, 2015)
 Colombia 2 (2003, 2025)
 Poland 1 (1983) 1 (1979)
 Chile 1 (2007) 1 (1987)
 Romania 1 (1981)
 East Germany 1 (1987)
 Republic of Ireland 1 (1997)
 Egypt 1 (2001)
 Hungary 1 (2009)
 Ecuador 1 (2019)
 Israel 1 (2023)
 Australia 2 (1991, 1993)
 United States 1 (1989)
 Paraguay 1 (2001)
 Austria 1 (2007)
 Costa Rica 1 (2009)
 Iraq 1 (2013)
 Senegal 1 (2015)
1 = includes results representing Yugoslavia
2 = includes results representing USSR
3 = includes results representing West Germany

Regional Success in the Tournament

Best results of countries in the FIFA U-20 World Cup
Map showing the best results for each country in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Football is played all over the world, and different continents have had different levels of success in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Teams from every continent except Oceania have reached the final match.

South American teams (CONMEBOL) have won the most titles, with twelve championships. European teams (UEFA) are next with ten titles, and African teams (CAF) have won two. Teams from Asia (AFC) and North/Central America (CONCACAF) have reached the final four times but haven't won the championship yet. No team from Oceania (OFC) has ever made it to the semi-finals. Australia, which used to be part of Oceania, reached the last four twice before joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2006.

Confederation (Continent) Performances
Winners Runners-up Third Fourth
CONMEBOL (South America) 12 titles: Argentina (6), Brazil (5), Uruguay (1) 9 times: Brazil (4), Uruguay (2), Argentina (2), Venezuela (1) 8 times: Brazil (3), Chile (1), Colombia (2), Ecuador (1), Uruguay (1) 6 times: Uruguay (3), Argentina (1), Chile (1), Paraguay (1)
UEFA (Europe) 10 titles: Portugal (2), Serbia1 (2), England (1), France (1), West Germany (1), Spain (1), Ukraine (1), USSR (1) 7 times: Spain (2), Czech Republic (1), West Germany (1), Italy (1), Portugal (1), USSR (1) 10 times: England (1), East Germany (1), Hungary (1), Rep. of Ireland (1), Israel (1), Italy (1), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Romania (1), USSR (1) 8 times: Austria (1), England (1), France (2), Italy (1), Poland (1), Spain (1), USSR (1)
CAF (Africa) 2 titles: Ghana (1), Morocco (1) 4 times: Ghana (2), Nigeria (2) 5 times: Mali (2), Egypt (1), Ghana (1), Nigeria (1) 3 times: Ghana (1), Morocco (1), Senegal (1)
AFC (Asia) None 3 times: Japan (1), Qatar (1), South Korea (1) None 3 times: South Korea (2), Iraq (1)
CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) None 1 time: Mexico (1) 1 time: Mexico (1) 2 times: Costa Rica (1), United States (1)
OFC (Oceania) None None None 2 times: Australia2 (2)
1 = as Yugoslavia (1987).
2 = as part of OFC (currently in AFC since 2006).

Tournament Awards

At the end of each FIFA U-20 World Cup, special awards are given to players and teams who performed exceptionally well. These awards celebrate the best individual talents and the team that showed the most sportsmanship.

  • The Golden Ball is given to the best player in the whole tournament.
  • The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals.
  • The Golden Glove is given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
  • The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is presented to the team that showed the best behavior and sportsmanship throughout the competition.
Tournament Golden Ball Golden Boot Goals Golden Glove FIFA Fair Play Trophy
Tunisia 1977 Tunisia Vladimir Bessonov Brazil Guina 4 Not awarded  Brazil
Japan 1979 Japan Argentina Diego Maradona Argentina Ramón Díaz 8  Poland
Australia 1981 Australia Romania Romulus Gabor Australia Mark Koussas 4  Australia
Mexico 1983 Mexico Brazil Geovani Brazil Geovani 6  South Korea
Soviet Union 1985 Soviet Union Brazil Paulo Silas Spain Sebastián Losada 3  Colombia
Chile 1987 Chile Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Robert Prosinečki West Germany Marcel Witeczek 7  West Germany
Saudi Arabia 1989 Saudi Arabia Brazil Bismarck Soviet Union Oleg Salenko 5  United States
Portugal 1991 Portugal Portugal Emílio Peixe Soviet Union Sergei Sherbakov 5  Soviet Union
Australia 1993 Australia Brazil Adriano Colombia Henry Zambrano 3  England
Qatar 1995 Qatar Brazil Caio Spain Joseba Etxeberria 7  Japan
Malaysia 1997 Malaysia Uruguay Nicolás Olivera Brazil Adaílton 10  Argentina
Nigeria 1999 Nigeria Mali Seydou Keita Spain Pablo Couñago 5  Croatia
Argentina 2001 Argentina Argentina Javier Saviola Argentina Javier Saviola 11  Argentina
United Arab Emirates 2003 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Ismail Matar United States Eddie Johnson 4  Colombia
Netherlands 2005 Netherlands Argentina Lionel Messi Argentina Lionel Messi 6  Colombia
Canada 2007 Canada Argentina Sergio Agüero Argentina Sergio Agüero 6  Japan
Egypt 2009 Egypt Ghana Dominic Adiyiah Ghana Dominic Adiyiah 8 Costa Rica Esteban Alvarado  Brazil
Colombia 2011 Colombia Brazil Henrique Almeida Brazil Henrique Almeida 5 Portugal Mika  Nigeria
Turkey 2013 Turkey France Paul Pogba Ghana Ebenezer Assifuah 6 Uruguay Guillermo de Amores  Spain
New Zealand 2015 New Zealand Mali Adama Traoré Ukraine Viktor Kovalenko 5 Serbia Predrag Rajković  Ukraine
South Korea 2017 South Korea Dominic Solanke Riccardo Orsolini 5 Freddie Woodman  Mexico
Poland 2019 Poland Lee Kang-in Erling Haaland 9 Andriy Lunin  Japan
Argentina 2023 Argentina Cesare Casadei Cesare Casadei 7 Sebastiano Desplanches  United States
Chile 2025 Chile Othmane Maamma Benjamin Cremaschi 5 Santino Barbi  United States

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol Sub-20 para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
FIFA U-20 World Cup Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.