U-20 World Cup 2015: Dates, Live Stream, Fixtures and Tournament Predictions

At the end of the domestic season, the U-20 World Cup will provide some timely football action to savour for fans desperate to get their fix.

A total of 24 teams are poised to battle it out for the trophy in New Zealand, with the likes of Argentina, Brazil and Germany all sending strong squads Down Under in pursuit of glory. It’s a competition that boasts a lot of prestige, too; iconic figures such as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi honed their skills in this tournament at an early age.

So if you’re a bit down about the end of most European league football for the summer, there’s a brilliant chance to check out some stars of the next generation. Here’s a look at the tournament schedule and a couple of teams poised to shine in New Zealand.

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	Group E	Group F
New Zealand	Argentina	Qatar	Mexico	Brazil	Germany
Ukraine	Panama	Colombia	Mali	Nigeria	Fiji
USA	Ghana	Portugal	Uruguay	North Korea	Uzbekistan
Myanmar	Austria	Senegal	Serbia	Hungary	Honduras

The tournament will run between May 30 and June 20. For a full schedule of fixtures, courtesy of the FIFA website, please click here.

Matches can be streamed via Fox Soccer 2GO (US), while selected games will also be shown on Eurosport (UK).

Brazil

Matilde Campodonico/Associated Press

As you’d expect from a fanatical football nation like Brazil, there are some extremely talented youngsters primed to set this tournament alight. They also have an admirable record in the tourney, having won it five times in the Selecao’s history.

Their last triumph came in 2011, when current Chelsea midfielder Oscar scored a scintillating hat-trick to down Portugal 3-2 in a thrilling final. As the playmaker noted when reflecting on that tournament, he learned plenty from those early experiences.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

“Although it's an Under-20 tournament, the tension involved is similar to, or even greater than, what you get in many professional matches,” said the Blues star, per Neil Sands of AFP (h/t BusinessInsider.com). “My good performances there provided me with a gateway to the senior side. I learned a lot.”

Hoping to follow in Oscar’s footsteps this year will be Manchester United starlet Andreas Pereira. Here’s a look at why he’s so highly rated at Old Trafford:

The 19-year-old is stylistically similar to the Chelsea man, boasting an eye for a pass, intricate footwork and immaculate balance. Expect his creative influence and the effervescent attacking instincts of Real Madrid’s Jean Carlos to lead Brazil into the final but for a lack of defensive nous to see them fall short at the final hurdle.

Prediction: Runners-up

Argentina

Matilde Campodonico/Associated Press

As aforementioned, the Albiceleste have plenty of pedigree when it comes to this competition. When Maradona talks so highly of an event, you can guarantee it’s one that Argentina will be taking very seriously indeed, per FIFA.com:

The squad the South Americans will take to this tournament is emblematic of that. This is a quality crop of young players, evident by the manner in which Argentina insouciantly strode to victory at the South America Youth Championships earlier this season.

Matilde Campodonico/Associated Press

There are a couple of familiar names to look out for in this squad, too. Angel Correa was the star of that tournament, and the Atletico Madrid youngster will be hoping to fire his side to more glory when they take to the field in New Zealand.

Here’s a closer look at the kind of talent the 20-year-old possesses:

The player most likely to benefit from Correa’s creativity also has Atletico connections. In the aforementioned tournament, Giovanni Simeone—the son of Rojiblancos boss Diego—finished top scorer; the 19-year-old has been on the fringes of the River Plate first team and will be desperate to show what he can do on the big stage here.

As beIN Sports notes, the youngster will be one of the most feared players in this competition:

While Argentina have formidable offensive options, they are defensively sound, too. Given what looks a straightforward group containing Panama, Ghana and Austria, expect the Albiceleste to progress easily before turning on the style on their way to what would be a seventh triumph in this competition.

Prediction: Winners