England have been left licking their wounds after opening the 2025 Under-17 World Cup in Qatar with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Venezuela. A previous generation of Young Lions including Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho lifted the trophy in 2017, but this team lacked a ruthless edge as two quickfire Venezuela goals from captain Roman Davis and Dioner Fuentes near the end of the first half killed England, before a late third from substitute Eider Barrios.
Although they were denied a number of goal-scoring chances by the Bolivian goalkeeper, the African representatives were clinical and ensured they picked up maximum points from their opening game. The South Africans performed well despite playing for more than one hour with 10 men after one of them had been sent off late in the first half.
Cavan Sullivan and Mathis Albert are among the headliners on a 21-player squad that will represent the United States in the upcoming U17 World Cup. Gonzalo Segares announced his squad on Thursday, and it includes plenty of firepower, headlined by the Philadelphia Union midfielder and the rising Borussia Dortmund star. The roster features players from 15 clubs.
The youngster joined the South American heavyweights as part of a collaborative partnership with his local club. He impressed during trials that lasted for two months before he was co-opted in a move that has been welcomed by those who developed him.
Two decades have passed since Mexico shocked the world in Peru with a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the 2005 U17 World Cup final. For many fans, that night at the Estadio Nacional remains one of the defining moments in Mexican football history. The tournament launched the careers of players such as Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos and Héctor Moreno.
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