The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U20 World Cup is often referred to as a “mini-World Cup”. It’s a competition for future superstars. It’s exciting to get a sneak peek at the future of world soccer, and because the players are so young, there are plenty of upsets and surprises. The 2023 tournament in Argentina is no different.
Leading up to the tournament, Brazil and Argentina were the two strongest favorites. Brazil is a team of up-and-coming players with outstanding individual performances, while Argentina is the host nation. It was widely expected that the two teams would meet at the highest level of the tournament. However, Brazil lost to Israel in the quarterfinals, and Argentina was stymied by Nigeria in the round of 16.
France’s exit from the group stage 스포츠토토 was the biggest upset. The French were in Group F and were expected to breeze through the tournament. But things went awry from the first game. They fell 1-2 to South Korea. In the second game, they were brought to their knees by the Gambia, 1-2. In their final group game, they beat Honduras 3-1 but couldn’t prevent elimination.
The failure of heavyweights Nigeria and the United States to reach the semifinals also stunned soccer fans. After upsetting hosts Argentina in the Round of 16, Nigeria was considered the favorite to win the tournament, but lost 0-1 to South Korea in the quarterfinals. They failed to break through the South Korean defense and conceded a set-piece goal to fall short in the semifinals. The United States, which had an unblemished record of four wins, 10 goals scored, and no goals conceded heading into the round of 16, also came to a halt in the quarterfinals. A 0-2 quarterfinal loss to Uruguay sent them packing.
With one upset after another, the U20 World Cup 2023 is headed for a climax. On Sept. 9 (ET), the semifinals will be South Korea-Italy and Uruguay-Israel. All four teams have never won the title. Whoever wins will make history.