Argentina national under-20 football team
| Nickname(s) |
Albicelestes (White and Sky blue) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Argentine Football Association | ||
| Confederation | CONMEBOL (South America) | ||
| Head coach | Humberto Grondona | ||
| Captain | Emanuel Mammana | ||
| FIFA code | ARG | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Argentina 5–0 Venezuela  (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 27 February 1951) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Argentina 8–1 United States  (São Paulo, Brazil; 4 May 1963) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Mexico 4–1 Argentina (Ibadan, Nigeria; April 15, 1999) | |||
| FIFA U-20 World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 14 (First in 1979) | ||
| Best result | Winners 1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007 | ||
| South American Youth Championship | |||
| Appearances | 26 (First in 1958) | ||
| Best result | Winners 1967, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2015 | ||
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level.
Argentina is the most successful nation in the FIFA World Youth Championship, winning the competition a record six times. The team has participated in 14 of the 20 World Championship events, since the 1979 edition, which they won. Argentina has also won five South American Youth Championships.
Many of Argentina's top players came through the ranks of the youth teams, including Sergio Agüero, Pablo Aimar, Nicolás Burdisso, Esteban Cambiasso, Ángel Di María, Ramón Díaz, Fernando Gago, Diego Maradona, Jorge Burruchaga, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Juan Román Riquelme, Oscar Ruggeri, Gabriel Calderón, Sergio Goycochea, Sergio Romero, Maxi Rodríguez, Luis Islas, Luciano Galletti, Juan Pablo Sorín, Franco Costanzo, Walter Samuel, Javier Saviola, Jorge Borelli, Leonardo Biagini, Diego Simeone, Carlos Tevez, Érik Lamela, Éver Banega and Pablo Piatti, among others.
History
1979 Youth championship
Argentina did not participate of the first youth championship held in Tunisia. The first appearance of a national team in an under-20 competition was two years later at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Tokyo. The team, coached by Menotti with the help of Ernesto Duchini (who had previously chosen the players and working with them),[1] won the tournament showing a fine style of playing consisting in high possession of the ball, short and long passes, dribblings, a solid defense and a powerful offensive line that scored a total of 20 goals along the tournament. Diego Maradona and Ramón Díaz were the team's leaders and most notable players of the squad. The tournament was also the first official championship played by Maradona in a national team. After his frustration of 1978, Maradona made one of his most performances along the tournament, being the playmaker of the team due to his passing moves, dribblings to rivals, his accuracy to shot free kicks and the six goals he scored.
Before every match, Diego played with the ball, putting it on his neck or his shoulders while the Japanese people couldn't stop applauding him. When I would see this, I would say to myself: "Wow, and the show hasn't even started yet".Osvaldo Rinaldi about Maradona [1]
Argentina debuted in Group B thrashing Indonesia 5–0 in the first match, beating Yugoslavia 1–0 in the second and defeating Poland in the third match, 4–1. The youth squad finished first in the group with ten goals scored and only one conceded. En route to the final, Argentina hammered Algeria 5–0, then defeated arch-rival Uruguay 2–0. In the final against the Soviet Union on 7 September, the team won 3–1, becoming the World Youth Champions for the first time. Ramón Díaz won the Golden Shoe as the topscorer, with eight goals, while Maradona was awarded the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament.[2]
Apart from Maradona and Díaz, other notable players of the team were Juan Simón, Hugo Alves, Gabriel Calderón, Juan Barbas and Osvaldo Escudero. That team is still regarded as one of the best Argentine national squads ever.[3]
1981–91: The dark decade
Argentina attended the next tournament, hosted by Australia in 1981. The squad was defeated by the local host (2–1), then achieving a draw with England (1–1) and beating Cameroon 2–1. Argentina did not qualify to the next stage, however, earning only three points after three matches played.
The national team made a much better performance at the 1983 championship hosted by Mexico, reaching the final with Brazil. On the first round, Argentina thrashed China 5–0, then widely defeated Austria (3–0) and beat Czechoslovakia in the last game, 2–0. The team finished first in the group with zero goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Argentina defeated Netherlands 2–1 (after Marco van Basten had opened the scored for the Oranje) and Poland 1–0 in the semi-finals. On 19 June 1983, Argentina played the final against Brazil, falling 1–0 at the Estadio Azteca.[4] The team was coached by Carlos Pachamé, designated by the Senior team coach, Carlos Bilardo, to work with youth players.
Some of the players of that team were goalkeeper Luis Islas, defenders Fabián Basualdo, Jorge Theiler, Carlos Enrique; midfielders Mario Vanemerak, Oscar Acosta and Roberto Zárate; and forwards Claudio García, Jorge Gabrich and Oscar Dertycia.[5]
Argentina did not qualify to play the 1985 and 1987 championships (played in the Soviet Union and Chile respectively) but the team went to the tournament held in Saudi Arabia as one of the three qualified in the South American championship. Argentina was defeated by Spain in the first match. The team recovered winning the second game to Norway 2–0, but although it lost the last match to Iraq, Argentina qualified for the second round. In the knockout stage, the team was beaten by Brazil by 1–0.
For the 1991 championship held in Portugal, Argentina was coached by Reinaldo Merlo, designated by then-senior coach Alfio Basile as it had been in the precedent era.
Argentina made its worst campaign in Youth tournaments, finishing last in the group with only one point in three matches. The team lost to Korea 1–0 in the debut being then widely defeated by the local team Portugal 3–0, in a match where 3 Argentine players (Claudio París, Mauricio Pellegrino and Juan Esnaider) were sent off by their rough playing, which ended in a great riot on the field between players of both teams. As a result, the International Federation (FIFA) punished the Argentine Association with 2 years of suspension, 1 year for Esnaider and 2 years for Norberto Recassens (one of the representatives of the Argentine Association) who insulted the referees in their dressing room at the end of the match.[6]
Some of the players that took part of that team were goalkeeper Leonardo Díaz, defenders Diego Cocca, Mauricio Pochettino and Pellegrino; midfielders París, Walter Paz Hugo Morales and Christian Bassedas; and forwards Marcelo Delgado and Esnaider.[7]
Pekerman era: the golden years
Argentina did not play the 1993 World Cup of Australia because it was banned. The Football Association had decided to name a new coach who was completely independent from the Senior team coach as had been until then. The chosen one was José Pekerman, who did not have much previous experience but his project convinced the managers to hire him.
The good results were immediate: Argentina won the first World Cup contested with Pekerman as coach, held in 1995 in Qatar. On the first stage, Argentina defeated Netherlands 1-0, then lost to Portugal by the same score and beat Honduras 4-2, finishing second and qualifying for the quarterfinals, were thrashed Cameroon by 4-0. In semifinals Argentina surpassed Spain (3-0) and then beat Brazil 2-0 at the final, taking revenge from the 1983 tournament where the Brazilian had been the winners.
Some of its most notable players were Juan Pablo Sorín, Joaquín Irigoytía, Federico Dominguez, Mariano Juan, Ariel Ibagaza, Leonardo Biagini and Walter Coyette.[8]
Argentina won its third title in the 1997 championship hosted by Malaysia. The team defeated Hungary 3-0 and Canada 2-1 but lost to Australia by 4-3. Argentina passed to the round of 16 where the team defeated England 2-1. In quarter finals Argentina eliminated Brazil after winning 2-0, then beat Republic of Ireland by 1-0 at semifinals. In the final game, played on July 5, 1997, the youth national squad defeated Uruguay 2-1 and therefore won the 3rd. championship for Argentina. The team also received the FIFA fair play award in recognition to the good behaviour showed on the field, leaving behind the violent incident that had taken place in Portugal in 1991.
Argentina showed the talent of notable players such as Leonardo Franco, Fabián Cubero, Leandro Cufré, Walter Samuel, Diego Placente, Esteban Cambiasso, Pablo Aimar, Román Riquelme and Bernardo Romeo, many of them with many games played in Argentine Primera División when the tournament began.[9]
The performance during the 1999 World Championship in Nigeria was not so good. Argentina finished 3rd of 4 in the group, winning over Kazakhstan 1-0 at the debut but with a game lost to Ghana (1-0) and a 0-0 draw with Croatia. On the round of 16, Argentina was largely defeated at the hands Mexico by 4-1 and eliminated from the tournament.
In 2001 Argentina hosted its first Youth Championship. The team won its 4th. title (the 3rd. championship in 7 years). Argentina debuted in the Estadio José Amalfitani (the venue where the team played all its games in Buenos Aires) defeating Finland 1-0. The next game Argentina thrashed Egypt 7-1 (with 3 goals by Javier Saviola), and closed its participation in Group A smashing Jamaica by 5-1. On the knockout round Argentina successively eliminated China (2-1), France (3-1) and Paraguay (5-0), winning the tournament with a convincing 3-0 over Ghana at the final, played on July 8 at Vélez Sársfield.
Argentina won its 4th. youth title unbeaten, scoring 27 goals in 7 matches and receiving only 4. River Plate's forward Javier Saviola was awarded with the Golden Shoe (as the topscorer with 11) and Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. Likewise Argentina was awarded the FIFA Fair Play Awarfor 2nd. consecutive time. Apart from the multi-awarded Saviola, the national squad had a powerful team with most of its players being experienced playing at the domestic first division. Some of the most notable were Nicolas Burdisso, Leonardo Ponzio, Julio Arca, Leandro Romagnoli, Mauro Rosales, Andrés D'Alessandro and Maxi Rodríguez.[10][11]
The 2001 championship was the last title won with Pekerman as coach, closing a brilliant era that brought back the prestige to Argentine football.
The success continues
After the departure of Pekerman, former goalkeeper Hugo Tocalli was designed to replace him. With Tocalli as coach, Argentina made its debut at 2003 championship defeating Spain by 2-1. The team also beat Uzbekistan (by the same score) and Mali (3-1). Argentina finished 1st and unbeaten the first stage. On the round of 16 the national squad beat Egypt 2-1, then defeated United States 2-1 but Argentina lost to Brazil 1-0 at the semifinals. The team was also defeated by Colombia in the 3rd place match so Argentina finished in the 4th position of the general table. Forward Fernando Cavenaghi was the topscorer of the tournament with 4 goals.
In 2004 Pekerman was appointed to coach the Senior team which would play the qualifiers to World Cup.[12] One year later Tocalli left the youth team to join Pekerman's coaching staff at the Senior team, so Francisco Ferraro was designated coach,[13] won its fifth title at the World championship hosted by Netherlands. Argentina lost to United States at the inaugural match, but the team recovered winning the games against Egypt (2-1) and Germany (1-0) qualifying for the next stage. From the round of 16 to the semifinals, Argentina successively eliminated Colombia (2-1), Spain (3-1), and Brazil (2-1) reaching the finals for the 6th. time. On July 2, 2005, Argentina defeated Nigeria by 2-1 and obtained its fifth Youth championship.
Other notable players for Argentina were goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, defenders Ezequiel Garay and Julio Barroso, midfielders Pablo Zabaleta, Fernando Gago and Lucas Biglia; and forwards Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero and Nery Cardozo.
Two years later the national team won its 2nd. consecutive title in the World Cup hosted by Canada. After a 0-0 draw in the debut with Czech Republic, Argentina smashed Panama 6-0 and defeated Korea 1-0 to secure qualification to 2nd. round. On knockout stage, Argentina first eliminated Poland (which defeated 3-1), then faced Mexico (1-0 win) and widely beat Chile 3-0 during the road to the final. On July 22, 2007, Argentina Youth won its 6th. title after defeating Czech Republic 3-1. Sergio Agüero, the topscorer of the championship with 6 goals, was also awarded the Gold Ball as the best player.
Other notable players for the youth national squad were goalkeeper Sergio Romero, midfielders Éver Banega, Maximiliano Moralez and Ángel Di María, and forwards Mauro Zárate and Pablo Piatti.
Honours
- FIFA U-20 World Cup (6):
Competitive record
FIFA World Youth Championship Record
| Year | Round | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1977 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1979 | Champions | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
 1981 | First round | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1983 | Runners-up | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 2 |
 1985 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1987 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1989 | Quarter-finals | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
 1991 | First round | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1993 | Disqualified | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 1995 | Champions | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 |
 1997 | Champions | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 |
 1999 | Second round | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2001 | Champions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 |
 2003 | Fourth Place | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 |
 2005 | Champions | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 |
 2007 | Champions | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
 2009 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 2011 | Quarter-finals | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
 2013 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - |
 2015 | First Round | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
 2017 | TBD | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 14/20 | 75 | 52 | 8 | 15 | 147 | 57 |
Individual awards
In addition to team victories, Argentine players have won many individual awards at FIFA World Youth Cups.
| Year | Golden Ball | Golden Boot |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Diego Maradona | Ramón Díaz |
| 2001 | Javier Saviola | Javier Saviola |
| 2005 | Lionel Messi | Lionel Messi |
| 2007 | Sergio Agüero | Sergio Agüero |
Current squad
The following players were selected to take part in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Head coach: Humberto Grondona
|
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Year(s) | U-20 Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Cavenaghi | 2003 | 12 |
| 2 | Javier Saviola | 2001 | 11 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 2005 | 11 |
| 4 | Luciano Galletti | 1999 | 10 |
| 4 | Giovanni Simeone | 2015 | 10 |
| 6 | Ramón Díaz | 1979 | 8 |
| 7 | Juan Esnaider | 1991 | 7 |
| 8 | Diego Maradona | 1979 | 6 |
| 8 | Leonardo Biagini | 1995 | 6 |
| 8 | Sergio Agüero | 2007 | 6 |
| 8 | Ángel Correa | 2015 | 6 |
Former squads
- 2011 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 2007 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 2005 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 2003 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 2001 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 1999 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 1997 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
- 1995 FIFA under-20 World Cup squads - Argentina
Recent results
2014
| 15 August 2014 2014 COTIF | Argentina |
1 - 0 |  Indonesia |
Alcúdia, Spain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:15 UTC+01 | Cabral  27' |
Report | Stadium: Estadi Municipal Els Arcs |
See also
- Argentina national football team
- Argentina national under-23 football team
- South American Youth Championship
Bibliography
References
- 1 2 Mundial Juvenil 1979
- ↑ Argentina Sub-20 1979, El Gráfico
- ↑ "Japón 1979: Despierta la generación de Maradona" - FIFA.es
- ↑ "México 1983: Brasil hace valer su condición de favorito" at FIFA.es
- ↑ Argentina vs. Holanda at Futboltodopasion
- ↑ "Grandes grescas del fútbol mundial vol XXXII: Portugal – Argentina (1991)", 25 September 2008
- ↑ Argentina Sub-20 1991, En una Baldosa
- ↑ "El comienzo del legado de Pekerman en juveniles", Todo Inferiores, 19 October 2012
- ↑ "Malasia 1997: El cuadrado mágico de Argentina", FIFA.es
- ↑ "Argentina 2001: La cuarta coronación de la albiceleste" - FIFA.es
- ↑ "Historias mundialistas: Argentina campeón juvenil 2001", by Agustín Sanna - Suite101, 29 May 2012
- ↑ "¿Quién es José Pekerman?", Noticias Caracol, 27 December 2011
- ↑ "Francisco Ferraro es el nuevo técnico del Sub 20", Infobae, 6 January 2005
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Argentina national under-20 football team. |
- Argentina national teams on AFA website
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
