Every season, youngsters pop up from all corners, some going on to have a long and successful career, some not so spectacular career while some fade into oblivion as soon as they shine.
On the national level, the football governing body (FIFA) created the U17 and the U20 World Cup to serve as feeders into the national teams.
The decision has so far been a positive one with a lot of stars been born from various editions of the tournaments. Every two years a new set of players are discovered.
From Lionel Messi, John Obi Mikel in 2005 to Sergio Aguero in 2007, Alexander Lacazzette, Ahmed Musa in 2011, Louis Figo in 1991, Xavi, Ronaldinho in 1999, Raul in 1995, many players have graced this stage of International Football and thus went on to become household names and successful careers.
This year in Poland, a new set of stars will be born as 24 teams will do battle to become the next set of FIFA U20 world champions, from May to June 2019. We take a peek into all the teams.
GROUP A
POLAND
Nickname: The whites and Reds
Appearance: 5th
Last Appearance: 2007
Best Performance: 3rd place (1983)
Coach: Jacek Magiera
TAHITI
Nickname: Iron Warriors
Appearance: 2nd
Last Appearance: 2009
Best Performance: Group Stage
Coach: Bruno Tehaamoano
SENEGAL
Nickname: Young Lions of Teranga
Appearance: 4th
Last Appearance: 2015
Best Performance: 4th place (2015)
Coach: Joseph Koto
COLOMBIA
Nickname: Los Cafeterias (The Coffee Growers)
Appearance: 10th
Last Appearance: 2015
Best Performance: 3rd place (2003)
Coach: Arturo Reyes
GROUP B
MEXICO
Nickname: El Tri
Appearance: 15th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Runners up (1977)
Coach: Diego Ramirez
ITALY
Nickname: Gil Azzurini
Appearance: 6th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: 3rd place (2017)
Coach: Paolo Nicolato
ECUADOR
Nickname: La Tricolor
Appearance: 4th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: R16 (2001)
Coach: Jorge Cellico
JAPAN
Nickname: Samurai Blues
Appearance: 10th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Runners up (1999)
Coach: Masanga Kageyama
GROUP C
HONDURAS
Nickname:
Appearance: 8th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Group Stage
Coach: Javier Padilla
NEW ZEALAND
Nickname: Junior All Whites
Appearance: 6th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: R16 (2015, 2017)
Coach: Des Buckingham
NORWAY
Nickname: Landslaget
Appearance: 3rd
Last Appearance: 1993
Best Performance: Group Stage
Coach: Pal Arne Johansen
URUGUAY
Nickname: Olympic Le Celeste
Appearance: 15th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Runners up (x2 1997, 2013)
Coach: Fabian Coito
GROUP D
QATAR
Nickname: –
Appearance: 4th
Last Appearance: New Zealand 2015
Best Performance: Australia 1981 (Runners Up)
Coach: Felix Sanchez Baz
UKRAINE
Nickname: –
Appearances: 4th
Last Appearance: New Zealand 2015
Best Performance: R16 (2001, 2005, 2015)
Coach: Oleksandr Vasylyovych Petrakov
NIGERIA
Nickname: The Flying Eagles
Appearance: 12th
Last Appearance: 2015
Best Performance: Runners up ( x2 1989, 2015)
Coach: Paul Aigbogun
USA
Nickname: The Yanks
Appearance: 16th
Last Appearance: South Korea 2017
Best Appearance: Saudi Arabia 1989 (4th place)
Coach: Tab Ramos (US)
GROUP E
PANAMA
Nickname: Red Tide
Appearance: 7th
Last Appearance: 2015
Best Performance: Group Stage
Coach: Darren Bazeley
MALI
Nickname: The Eagles
Appearance: 8th
Last Appearance: 2015
Best Performance: 3rd place (x2 1999, 2017)
Coach: Baye Ba
FRANCE
Nickname: The Little Blues
Appearance: 8th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Winners (x1 2013)
Coach: Bernard Diomede
SAUDI ARABIA
Nickname: The Green Falcons
Appearance: 10th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: R16 (2011, 2017)
Coach: Khalid Al Atawi
GROUP F
PORTUGAL
Nickname: –
Appearance: 13th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Winners (x2 1989, 1991)
Coach: Helio Sousa
SOUTH KOREA
Nickname: Teageuk Warriors
Appearance: 16th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: Fourth place (1983)
Coach: Jeong Jeong-Yong
SOUTH AFRICA
Nickname: Amajita
Appearance: 4th
Last Appearance: 2017
Best Performance: R16 (2009)
Coach: Thabo Senong
ARGENTINA
Nickname: Albiceleste
Appearance: 16th
Last Appearance: 2015
Best Performance: Winners (x6 1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007)
Coach: Fernando Batista
