Top 25 Players to Watch from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup
On Saturday, the FIFA U-17 World Cup will reach its highly anticipated climax in India. Brazil will play Mali with third place on the line before England and Spain clash for the grand prize. It will be a repeat of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship final earlier this year—a match La Furia Roja won on penalties.
In building up to the final, we have selected 25 players from the hundreds on show over the course of the tournament. These 25 are notable for their brilliant performances, sky-high potential or general intrigue.
It was hard to narrow it down, as there has been so much quality on show, but these are all names you should take note of. They are all worth tracking, and some will go on to achieve great things in the game.
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Lincoln, ST, Brazil
The goals dried up for Lincoln toward the latter stages of this tournament, and there seemed to be an element of the 16-year-old beating himself up about it.
But the talent and potential is clearly there. It was displayed relentlessly during the South American Under-17 Championship in February and early on here. A clever, mobile forward, he finishes expertly but also links well, interchanging with his midfield and creating chances with one-twos.
Jesus Rolon, RB, Paraguay
There's plenty to work on defensively for Jesus Rolon, but what he flashed from an attacking perspective during this tournament was exciting.
You won't find many defenders who are better at creating chances out of nothing with deadly accurate through balls. He lifts his head and looks to pick out a team-mate as often as possible and is also capable when pushing forward with the ball at his feet.
Yacine Adli, CM, France
Paris Saint-Germain have a gem in Yacine Adli. His gait is a little clunky, and his hair is untidy, but boy does he do the business where it matters.
He managed five assists in just four games this tournament, frequently setting up Amine Gouiri, instigating rapid passing moves and spraying the ball all over the park. He also managed to thump an exquisite free-kick home against Honduras, just hitting it as hard as he could from 20 yards and seeing it fly in.
Victor Bobsin, CM, Brazil
Arguably the best name at the Under-17 World Cup, Victor Bobsin also happens to be a pretty good footballer.
Don't be fooled by the fact Bobsin was withdrawn in the second half of Brazil's past two games; he plays holding midfield and knits a neat three-man rotation together but is naturally the first one to be sacrificed if the game is being chased.
Secure on the ball and clearly a clever positional player, he won't be talked about in the same breath as the Selecao's leading attacking lights but quite possibly should be.
Jann-Fiete Arp, ST, Germany
Jann-Fiete Arp is a lovely player to watch and a scorer of lovely goals.
A complete forward reminiscent of Harry Kane in the way he operates, he's cool and calm bearing down on goal. This World Cup saw him score from a seemingly impossible angle and a couple of sumptuous one-on-one chips.
His all-around game is on point too; he plays with his head on a swivel, utilises first-time flicks and passes to keep attacks flowing and seems incredibly unselfish in the final third given his predatory prowess.
Rhian Brewster, ST, England
England's phenomenal campaign has been spearheaded by Rhian Brewster, who netted consecutive hat-tricks in the quarter-final and semi-final stages.
Playing for a team with such a dominant midfield has meant he's rarely had to involve himself in buildup play, allowing him to focus on the movement and positional elements in his game. Most of his goals are true poacher's strikes, and he's a magnet for the ball in the box.
But he also netted one scorcher of a free-kick against Mexico in the group stage, displaying a side to his game we hadn't seen before.
Jadon Sancho, Winger, England
A player you no doubt already know is Jadon Sancho. His high-profile divorce from Manchester City this past summer attracted the spotlight, and he recently made his senior debut for Borussia Dortmund.
BVB called him back after he helped the Three Lions through the group stage, and although the team have continued to roll, his ability to beat a man one-on-one and unlock games is being missed. England are a lesser attacking outfit without him.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Winger/AM, England
Callum Hudson-Odoi is an incredibly dangerous player with the ball at his feet. For both England and Chelsea, he's shown in 2017 that if you allow him to run with it, you're in deep trouble.
He's a little limited in possession—his beautiful assist for Brewster's opener in the semi-final was something of an exception to the rule—and is at his best hurtling into space. England started the tournament with him at No. 10, darting left and right and pulling markers around.
A finisher, a creator and a speedster.
Wesley, RB, Brazil
Brazil may have fizzled out in the semi-final, but one player kept going and going and enjoyed a stonking game despite the defeat: Wesley.
An all-action full-back, the Selecao star's stamina is eye-popping, and his ability to shuttle up and down the pitch—influencing play heavily in every third—is incredible. One minute he's partaking in ping-pong passing moves that result in goals; the next he's sliding in to block a cross into his team's box.
Alan Souza, CM/AM, Brazil
Alan Souza first caught the world's eye at the South American Under-17 Championship in February. He was the delightful little midfielder feeding all those delicious through balls into Vinicius Junior's path.
He was hands down the most naturally talented player on show for Brazil at the World Cup and seems to play the game at his own, easy pace. Slight but tough to restrain, his passing ability is essentially unrivalled at this age level.
No wonder he's interesting Real Madrid, per AS (h/t Pete Jenson of MailOnline).
Abel Ruiz, CF, Spain
Leading Spain's inventive attack is Abel Ruiz, who is a good bet to be the smartest player on whichever pitch he sets foot.
His physique and tucked-in shirt make him look a throwback target forward, but he's modern in his approach; intelligent movement make him hard to keep hold of, and he's pretty reliable in front of goal, sliding home finishes with consummate calm.
Phil Foden, AM/Winger, England
Phil Foden is an incredible talent. Sancho is often hailed as England's best player, but Foden isn't far behind.
He operates off the right flank for the Three Lions, often cutting inside on to his left foot. His measured through balls are brilliant, and he picks out runners with impressive accuracy. His ability to dance around tackles, maintain his balance and thread passes is, dare we say it, David Silva-esque.
Cesar Gelabert, CM/AM, Spain
Cesar Gelabert is one of the minority of players at this World Cup who is under 17 years of age, and it makes what he's done over the course of October all the more impressive.
A dynamic attacking midfielder, coach Santiago Denia gave him licence to roam from his central-midfield spot in La Roja's 4-3-3 formation, and it's his direct runs that cause defences so many problems. He had a particularly excellent semi-final against Mali, winning a penalty and slipping in Ruiz for a goal with a beauty of a pass.
Younes Delfi, Mid/Fwd, Iran
Iran had a tournament to remember, topping their group with nine points (beating Germany 4-0 in the process) and reaching the quarter-final stage, where they bowed out to Spain, who have since reached the final.
Arguably their finest performer was midfield wonder Younes Delfi, who netted two of the four goals against Germany and won a penalty against Costa Rica. He was absent for the quarter-final tussle with Spain; would it have been a different story were he available?
Timothy Weah, Winger/Fwd, USA
Timothy Weah's name will always make him one to watch, no matter his talent level. Son of George Weah, the 1995 Ballon d'Or winner and current presidential candidate in Liberia, the spotlight will be hard to avoid.
It's fortunate Timothy is pretty damn good, then. He showcased how lethal he can be against Paraguay, netting a hat-trick inclusive of one stunning strike. Weah performed well across the U.S.'s five games, with a notable feature of his game being a willingness to track back and assist his full-back with runners.
Mateu Morey, RB, Spain
Mateu Morey and Juan Miranda represent a Barcelona full-back duo excelling for both club and country. It appears they're well-stocked in those positions for the coming years.
Mateu is aggressive and snappy when fulfilling his defensive duties and never stops running. He's also used as something of a playmaker, with his longer, searching passes down the right flank ripe for running on to. He and Ruiz have a clear connection—again, likely forged at club level.
Paulinho, Winger, Brazil
Paulinho—no, not that one—proved to be one of Brazil's most potent goal threats during this tournament. Dipping inside off the flank, his shooting ability from range made defenders nervous; any space afforded to him could easily be punished swiftly.
He netted a stunner against Spain during the group stage, putting them ahead in a key game on the stroke of half-time. And he threatened consistently against England in the semi-final once he had swapped wings.
Amine Gouiri, ST, France
France were knocked out in the round of 16, meaning Gouri only played four games, but he still managed to plunder five goals.
The striking thing about him is the way the unorthodox way he finishes; he stabs and pokes at balls in a way few do, allowing him to take shots from seemingly impossible angles and scenarios. It certainly caught a few goalkeepers off guard in India.
Diego Lainez, Winger, Mexico
It perhaps shouldn't surprise that Diego Lainez looked head and shoulders above several of his Mexico colleagues. Although he's only 17, he's already playing a sizeable part in Club America's first-team affairs.
The winger boasts an incredibly quick change of direction and takes lots of little touches of the ball, inviting lunges he can then dance around. Lainez scored twice against England in the group stage, with his second a seriously nice finish from a standing position with no backlift.
Juan Miranda, LB, Spain
Miranda has impressed throughout the tournament, consistently turning in good showings and carrying his good group-stage form into the knockouts.
He's an attack-minded full-back but holds his own defensively, impressing the most when flying forward and overlapping to offer a stretching option. Some of his low deliveries are on point. But for profligate finishing, he'd have triple the assists he does to his name.
Josh Sargent, ST, USA
Josh Sargent has already made a slice of history in football, becoming the youngest player to score at the FIFA U-20 World Cup that took place earlier this year. Having done that, the under-17 version should have been a walk in the park, and predictably he impressed.
He netted three times in five games leading the U.S. attack, and he scored his nation's only goal in the quarter-final loss to England.
Having previously taken in training spells with PSV Eindhoven and Schalke 04, he's joining Werder Bremen in the new year.
Lassana Ndiaye, ST, Mali
Mali surprised many by making a deep run into the competition; they are still in with a shout of placing, as they will play Brazil on Saturday for third.
Their direct, shot-happy approach has been a nice twist on what most other sides have brought to the table, and the man making the difference up front has been Lassana Ndiaye. He's scored with his left foot, right foot and head and showcased some impressive movement off the shoulder of defences.
Marcos Antonio, CM, Brazil
Watching Marcos Antonio flit about in midfield, always finding a pocket of space and offering for the ball, was a joy. He's positive and brave in possession; he's exactly the type of play who can help instigate long, dominant periods in games.
He pretty much never stops, and his deft touches and impressive passing make him a serious threat. He's less of a killer-ball merchant than team-mate Alan but still just as likely to bring one of Brazil's offensive weapons into play.
Ferran Torres, Winger, Spain
Ferran Torres has been a bundle of creativity throughout the tournament, boasting a wide range of skills that make him a tricky player to deal with.
Small and slight but with a notable burst out of the blocks, he can skip away from markers to make a yard to cross or shoot. He's created two goals this tournament and laid the groundwork for more.
His willingness to take the outside lane and deliver a low ball into the box is rather unlike what you generally associate with Spanish playmakers.
Jonathan Panzo, CB, England
Jonathan Panzo's played the entire World Cup at left-back, which is odd considering Lewis Gibson is in the squad and usually fills that role. Perhaps manager Steve Cooper just wanted to fit him in, and to be fair, it's easy to see why.
Early on in the tournament, Panzo looked at home on the flank and was galloping past players and making an impact offensively. As the opponents have got tougher, he's been less adventurous and naturally dropped into a more narrow position—his natural area—and held his own defensively.
Tall and lean but with exceptional feet, he's a different type of player to what you would expect in this area.
All statistics via FIFA.com and Wyscout
