TSG prepares for FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile 

New Caledonia are the only debutants heading to Chile 2025, with the islanders becoming the 94th different team to play at the finals. Argentina have won a record six titles, one more than Brazil, while the trophy went to Europe for four straight editions between 2013 and 2019, before returning to South America with Uruguay in 2023.

Fifteen winners of this youth tournament have gone on to conquer the FIFA World Cup™: Diego Maradona (won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1979), Bebeto, Dunga, Jorginho (1983), Müller, Cláudio Taffarel (1985), Dida (1993), Iker Casillas, Carlos Marchena, Xavi Hernández (1999), Lionel Messi (2005), Ángel Di María (2007), Alphonse Areola, Paul Pogba, Florian Thauvin and Samuel Umtiti (2013).

Peter Ogaba remains the youngest player in U-20 World Cup history, having represented Nigeria against Czechia in 1989 at the age of 14 years and 151 days, breaking the record of Kodjo Kpakpakpi from Togo which he had held for two years. Meanwhile Erling Haaland holds the record for the most goals scored in a FIFA-competition match, bagging nine in Norway’s record 12-0 victory over Honduras at the U-20 World Cup in 2019.

FIFA will deploy a highly experienced Technical Study Group (TSG) and Football Performance Insights Team to attend, observe and analyse all 52 matches, with regular technical/tactical reports being provided during the competition, in addition to a comprehensive post-tournament report that will benchmark FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 within the overall global football development landscape.

Pascal Zuberbühler is FIFA’s Senior Football and Goalkeeping expert and leads the Technical Study Group. “Zubi” brings extensive experience to the TSG, having attended all senior and youth FIFA tournaments (men’s and women’s) over the last six years, and is also a former Switzerland national team goalkeeper.

During his club career, he played for seven years at Grasshopper Club Zurich, followed by another seven at FC Basel before spells with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and West Bromwich Albion and Fulham in England.

“With FIFA’s U-17 World Cups now being played annually, member associations should start to see more players coming through for selection at U-20 level as more young players gain exposure to playing in a youth World Cup, and playing against the best players in the world. We are already seeing young players making the breakthrough with their senior national teams, for example, Lamine Yamal, who made his senior debut for Spain two years ago when he was just 16. Traditionally, we see many players break through from the U-20 World Cup, and already, some of the players in this competition are playing at first-team level with their clubs.

“Chile is a football nation through and through, and as the host nation for this tournament, it will be fantastic for everyone involved to experience the great football tradition and culture in this country. And from a goalkeeping perspective, I am always very interested to see how young goalkeepers are developing, particularly with the introduction of the eight-second rule, and I’d like to see how players interpret this and adapt. The evolution of players at U-20 level is an important cog in the overall global football development.”

During her playing career as a defender, Corinne Diacre made more than 120 appearances for her country while playing for almost two decades for French club side ASJ Soyaux-Charente. After playing internationally for France in three UEFA European Championships (1997, 2001, 2005) and one FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (2003), France’s first participation, she embarked on a career as a high-level coach in both the men’s and women’s game, after spending more than 10 years training young players.

In 2014, Diacre made football history, becoming the first woman to manage in the top two tiers of a men’s professional European league when she became manager at Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot. After three years in the role, she departed to become head coach of the France women’s national team, a spell that included competing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019, which was hosted by France. She is also a FIFA coach mentor and is involved in FIFA’s Female Coach Educators’ Development Pathway programme.

Diacre understands the importance that representing the national team holds for players and is looking forward to the learnings that can come from this FIFA U-20 World Cup.

“For any player, to represent their country is a source of great pride, and a World Cup is a World Cup. It is the greatest competition in the world, and this tournament will be a springboard to senior national team level for a number of players that we see competing. I am very interested to see different strategies that coaches employ, particularly as the games develop and as the dynamics of the competition unfold. I also look forward to seeing how different football cultures compare and possibly draw parallels with women’s football.” 

Former Chile national team player (senior and youth) Marcelo Jara joins our Technical Study Group, bringing a wealth of knowledge about football in the host nation. As a professional player, he won the 1994 and 1995 championships with Club Universidad de Chile, and also had spells with Unión Española, Deportes Concepción, and Coquimbo Unido.

He is passionate about coaching and currently works at the National Football Institute of Chile, helping to develop coaches. He has a strong interest in the social aspect of football and youth development and was part of the training programme for coaches at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2008™ and the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015™, when both events were held in his home nation. Additionally, he recently participated in a FIFA Trainer Education course that took place in Chile.

Jara is particularly interested in seeing how the game is evolving at U-20 level and how player development is impacting that.

“I am looking forward to seeing the new talents of world football, as well as the innovative tactics and strategies of coaches, who always surprise us with their creative approaches. It will be an excellent occasion to reaffirm beliefs or make adjustments to them. For example, individual skill can sometimes win matches, but one can also see how teams with strong teamwork and dedication can overcome the advantages of talented players.

“The experience that this tournament offers is essential to support the growth of new talents and to complete their training and competition phase, where players will test their skills and abilities against the best in the world in high-intensity environments. Furthermore, it is essential for each player and team to assess their levels to learn lessons, identify their current situation, recognise areas for improvement, and continue competing in the future.”

Having held multiple roles within the Polish Football Association (PZPN), including technical director, head coach, assistant coach, and tactical analyst, Marcin Dorna brings a wealth of diverse knowledge to our TSG. His extensive experience of coaching youth national teams across approximately 150 official international matches, in addition to working with Poland’s senior national men’s team during FIFA World Cup 2018™ and  Qatar 2022™, and the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championships, as well as with Germany as an assistant coach during UEFA Euro 2024.

In his current role as Sporting Director of the Polish Football Association, he has been instrumental in strategic reviews and post-tournament analyses of major international competitions (men’s and women’s), using those insights to develop coach education programmes and professional standards across all levels of the game in his home nation.

As he explains here, the observations and insights gained during FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 can signal the direction in which football is evolving.

“Tournaments like this provide an ideal platform for young players to grow, develop, and gain unique international experience at a highly competitive level. Regardless of the age category, these competitions do more than just showcase talent – they often reveal tactical trends, technical preferences, and innovations in player development that are shaping the global game. As a coach and keen observer of football, I see this FIFA U-20 World Cup as a critical learning opportunity. It allows us to analyse how the game is changing, not only in terms of physical demands or tactical complexity, but also in how young athletes are being prepared mentally and emotionally to meet the challenges of professional football.

“This year’s U-20 World Cup will likely influence coaching methodologies, talent identification and long-term development models. Observing the tournament closely will help us understand what the football of the near and distant future may look like.

“We, as coaches, are tasked with preparing young players not for the football of today, but for the football of tomorrow. That’s why interest in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile will be high among football professionals around the world. It’s more than a competition – it's an educational experience, a career trigger, and a platform to observe the global direction of football development,” he added. 

The FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ kicks off on Saturday, September 27^th, 2025, with games being hosted in four cities: Santiago, Valparaiso, Rancagua and Talca.