U20 World Cup opens in Chile as scouts eye rising talents

The 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup opened this weekend in Chile, bringing 24 national teams and a global contingent of scouts and talent-watchers to stadiums in Santiago, Valparaíso, Rancagua and Talca for a tournament that runs from September 27 to October 19. The opening day featured Japan vs Egypt and South Korea vs Ukraine, and early group-stage action produced a mix of expected results and shocks that have already begun to shift attention to individual performers and transfer markets.

The United States produced the tournament's most emphatic result on matchday one, routing New Caledonia 9-1 in Rancagua. The U.S. led 7-0 at halftime and finished strongly as Benjamín Cremaschi scored a hat trick and added two assists, a performance that coach Marko Mitrović hailed as a complete team display. Morocco opened with a surprise 2-0 victory over Spain, while Argentina beat Cuba 3-1 despite playing with ten men from the 10th minute. Other opening results included Paraguay defeating Panama 3-2, Ukraine beating South Korea 2-1, and Brazil and Mexico sharing the points in a 2-2 draw.

The tournament has drawn particular attention from European clubs hunting for emerging talent. Several Serie A...