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World Cup U17 Overview

Chelsea owners see off transfer competition to land 16-year-old

Chelsea’s ownership group has reportedly beaten Manchester United and Manchester City in the chase for Mohamed Zongo, one of Africa’s most exciting young footballers, with the Burkina Faso midfielder set to join Strasbourg in 2027 when he turns 18. The deal, agreed with Sporting Football des Cascades Tenakourou, marks the latest step in Chelsea’s long-term recruitment project, which has increasingly focused on identifying global talent years before they reach senior breakout status.

Ronaldo sends message as Portugal win first Under-17 World Cup

Portugal secured their first-ever Under-17 World Cup title courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Austria in the final in Qatar on Thursday and Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest Portuguese player of all time was first in line to offer his congratulations with a simple but very effective message to his huge audience of 668 million followers on Instagram.

Man City & Man Utd go head-to-head for Burkina Faso wonderkid

Manchester City and Manchester United have entered a fierce battle to sign Burkina Faso sensation Mohamed Zongo, the 15-year-old attacking midfielder who dazzled at the U17 World Cup. Both clubs have already held talks with the Tenakourou Academy as Europe’s elite begin circling for a prodigy who produced goals, assists and man-of-the-match displays to lead Burkina Faso to the quarter-finals.

Alejandro Rodriguez Engand vs Austria, U-17 World Cup

England's U17 World Cup dream ends in thrashing to Austria

England have been eliminated from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in spectacular fashion, losing 4-0 against Austria in the round of 16. Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez's red card shortly after the Young Lions fell behind early in the second half proved to be a crucial moment, with Austria eventually going on to run up the score-line in the latter stages of the knockout tie.

Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana, November 2025

Broos’ squad decisions to rock Bafana

The South African men’s senior national team took things to the next level over the past weekend, defeating Zambia 3–1 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in a friendly encounter. Courtesy of goals from Oswin Appolis, Mohau Nkota, and Sphephelo Sithole sealed an impressive outing — a performance that left most of the home crowd happy and eager for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. However, for the man at the helm, there remains room for improvement within the squad he will take to the prestigious competition. This leaves him with a selection dilemma: having to drop some players while entrusting others to rise to the challenge.

Reigan Heskey England U17 World Cup 2025

Heskey's son overtakes Foden & Sancho with England U17 heroics

Reigan Heskey, the son of former Liverpool and England legend Emile, has overtaken Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho with his goals at the Under-17 World Cup. England secured their spot in the last 32 in Qatar as they finished second to Venezuela in Group E. The Young Lions then eased into the last 16 of the tournament as they got the better of South Korea on Saturday.

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	PSV Eindhoven	28	22	2	4	78	37	41	68	L L W W W
2	Feyenoord	28	16	5	7	61	40	21	53	D W D L W
3	NEC Nijmegen	28	14	8	6	69	47	22	50	D W W L D
4	Ajax	28	12	12	4	53	35	18	48	D W L D D
5	Twente	28	12	11	5	47	30	17	47	W L W W W

Pos

Team

+/-

PTS

Form

PSV Eindhoven

L
L
W
W
W

Feyenoord

D
W
D
L
W

NEC Nijmegen

D
W
W
L
D

Ajax

D
W
L
D
D

Twente

W
L
W
W
W

Frequently asked questions

Who has won the most Eredivise titles?

Ajax are the most successful club in Eredivisie history, securing the league title a record 36 times. Their most recent league triumph came at the end of the 2021-22 season.

How many teams are in the Eredivisie?

The Eredivisie currently features 18 teams competing in the league, which has been the norm since the 1966-67 season. From its inception in 1956 till 1962, there were 18 teams, too, but the number was reduced to 16 between 1962 and 1966.

Who has made the most Eredivisie appearances ever?

Pim Doesburg holds the Eredivisie record for the most appearances, having played in 687 matches over his career. His longevity and consistency between the posts as a goalkeeper made him a standout figure in Dutch football.

Who is the all-time top scorer of the Eredivisie?

Willy van der Kuijlen holds the title of the Eredivisie's all-time top scorer, netting an impressive 311 goals throughout his career. His goal-scoring record remains unmatched in the history of Dutch football.

Who has the most assists in the history of the Eredivisie?

Dutch great Johan Cruyff has registered the most assists in Eredivisie history, setting up his teammates a scintillating 150 times.

Who is the oldest player ever in the Eredivise and how old was he?

Former Dutch goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed is the oldest-ever player to feature in an Eredivise game. Jongbloed was 44 years and 287 days old when he achieved this feat, playing for Go Ahead Eagles against the now-dissolved HFC Haarlem.

Who is the youngest player ever in the Eredivisie and how old was he?

Wim Kras made history as the youngest-ever player in the Eredivisie in 1959, debuting as a right winger for Volendam in a game against Ajax at the age of 15 years and 290 days.

Which famous players have played in the Eredivisie?

Prominent players who have featured in the Eredivisie include legends like Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Luis Suarez.

Which famous managers have managed in the Eredivisie?

Rinus Michels, Louis van Gaal, and Guus Hiddink are some of Eredivisie's most renowned managers.

What is the biggest stadium in the Eredivisie?

The Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, which is the home to Ajax, is the biggest stadium in the Eredivisie with a capacity of 55,865.

Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Eredivisie?

Steven Bergwijn is Eredivisie's most expensive player of all-time, having cost Ajax €31.25 million when signing him from Spurs in 2022.