FIFA Under-20 World Cup

FIFA U-20 World Cup: Welcome To Egypt!

Goal.com brings you all the action from this year's top youth tournament...

Sep 23, 2009 5:21:44 PM

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Egypt 2009 U-20 World Cup logo

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The FIFA Under-20 World Cup is here, and Goal.com is set to bring you all the action.

From our dedicated staff covering the tournament on-site in Egypt to our correspondents around the world, there is no better place to keep track of the hottest youth teams in international football today.

As well as the teams fighting for national pride, there are plenty of individuals looking to impress scouts and earn themselves a big move, or at least greater recognition with their current club. Some of the top names include Arsenal's Fran Merida, playing for Spain, Lars Bender of Bayer Leverkusen and Germany, Gremio and Brazil's Maylson, and Krisztian Nemeth of Hungary and Liverpool, on loan to AEK.

Teams

But back to the team contest. Without Argentina around to defend their 2007 crown, this tournament is wide open. Familiar names like Brazil and Germany are joined by England and Ghana, as well as a few would-be surprise packages such as Honduras, the UAE, and brand new entrants Tahiti:

Group A	Group B	Group C
Egypt	Nigeria	United States
Trinidad & Tobago	Venezuela	Germany
Paraguay	Spain	Cameroon
Italy	Tahiti	South Korea
Group D	Group E	Group F
Ghana	Brazil	UAE
Uzbekistan	Costa Rica	South Africa
England	Czech Republic	Honduras
Uruguay	Australia	Hungary

About The Tournament

What: The FIFA Under-20 World Cup has run since 1977 in varying forms. Nowadays it contains 24 teams comprising 21 players who were born on or after January 1, 1989.
Who: The most successful side - Argentina - are not taking part. They failed to qualify despite having won six past titles, including three of the four to take place this decade and the previous two. Bookmakers consider Brazil, Spain and Germany to be the favourites, but the likes of Italy, Ghana, Nigeria and Egypt have all been tipped to surprise some onlookers.
When: The group stage begins on September 24, 2009, and the final takes place on October 16.
Where: Egypt is the third African country to host this tournament. There are seven stadiums in use in five cities, although the later stages will take place almost entirely in Suez, and of course Cairo. The showpiece final will be held at the Cairo International Stadium.