The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup will be held between October 6-28 and here’s a look at the history of the competition.
The FIFA under-17 World Cup was started way back in 1985 in Chile, but as an under-16 championship. The age-cap was increased in 1991 and has stayed that way ever since. The tournament is held every two years India will host the event’s 17th edition in October, when the event gets underway. The event also featured just 16 teams in the initial stages but in 2005, that too was changed to include 24 teams. Nigeria is the defending World champion and is also the most successful side in the tournament’s history, having lifted the trophy for a record five times. Saudi Arabia, however, hold the unique distinction to be the only Asian country to have won the World Cup back in 1989.
Year
Venue
Champions
Runners-up
Score
1985
China
Nigeria
West Germany
2-0
1987
Canada
Soviet Union
Nigeria
1–1 (4–2*)
1989
Scotland
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
2–2 (5–4*)
1991
Italy
Ghana
Spain
1–0
1993
Japan
Nigeria
Ghana
2–1
1995
Ecuador
Ghana
Brazil
3–2
1997
Egypt
Brazil
Ghana
2–1
1999
New Zealand
Brazil
Australia
0–0 (8–7*)
2001
Trinidad & Tobago
France
Nigeria
3–0
2003
Finland
Brazil
Spain
1–0
2005
Peru
Mexico
Brazil
3–0
2007
South Korea
Nigeria
Spain
0–0 (3–0*)
2009
Nigeria
Switzerland
Nigeria
1-0
2011
Mexico
Mexico
Uruguay
2-0
2013
Arab Emirates
Nigeria
Mexico
3-0
2015
Chile
Nigeria
Mali
2-0
(* on penalties)
Goals in each World Cup
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Out of the 16 World Cups held till date, the 100-goal mark has been breached 10 times so far, with the first such instance coming in the 1993 edition held in Japan. However, since the turn of the century in 2001, every edition of the under-17 World Cup has seen more than a 100 goals being scored. That, however, can also attributed to the fact that 24 teams were allowed to participate in the tournaments since 2005. The highest number of goals so far was scored in the 2013 edition with goalkeepers being beaten 172 times in 52 matches at an average of 3.30. In terms of frequency, however, both the 1997 and 2003 World Cups saw 117 goals scored at an average of 3.65.
Year
Venue
Teams
Games
Goals
Average
1985
China
16
32
91
2.84
1987
Canada
16
32
82
2.56
1989
Scotland
16
32
77
2.40
1991
Italy
16
32
81
2.53
1993
Japan
16
32
107
3.34
1995
Ecuador
16
32
84
2.62
1997
Egypt
16
32
117
3.65
1999
New Zealand
16
32
93
2.90
2001
Trinidad & Tobago
16
32
102
3.18
2003
Finland
16
32
117
3.65
2005
Peru
16
32
111
3.46
2007
South Korea
24
52
165
3.17
2009
Nigeria
24
52
151
2.90
2011
Mexico
24
52
158
3.03
2013
Arab Emirates
24
52
172
3.30
2015
Chile
24
52
151
2.90
Top scorer in each World Cup
There has been just one player in the tournament’s history to have breached the 10-goal mark so far. And it came in the last edition with Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen scoring 10 goals en route to guiding his side to their fifth World Cup victory. France’s Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivory Coast’s Souleymane Coulibaly sit joint on the second spot with nine goals each to their name. And on the third sits Marcel Witeczek (playing for then West Germany) who scored eight goals in the inaugural edition.
Daniel Allsopp(Australia) 5 Mohammed Amar Al-Kathiri (Oman) 5
1997
Egypt
David (Spain) 7
1999
New Zealand
Ishmael Addo (Ghana) 7
2001
Trinidad & Tobago
Florent Sinama Pongolle (France) 9
2003
Finland
Cesc Fabregas (Spain) 5 Carlos Hidalgo (Colombia) 5 Manuel Curto (Portugal) 5
2005
Peru
Carlos Vela (Mexico) 5
2007
South Korea
Macauley Chrisantus (Nigeria) 7
2009
Nigeria
Sani Emmanuel (Nigeria) 5 Borja Baston (Spain) 5
2011
Mexico
Souleymane Coulibaly (Ivory Coast) 9
2013
Arab Emirates
Valmir Berisha (Sweden) 7
2015
Chile
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) 10
Matches with the most goals
11th September, 1997 (Ismalia, Egypt)
13 — New Zealand 0-13 Spain
19th August 2003, (Helsinki, Finland)
10 —Colombia 9-1 Finland
20th August 2003, (Tampere, Finland)
10 — Portugal 5-5 Cameroon
20th August 1991, (Livorno, Italy)
9 — Cuba 2-7 Spain
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Bihan is a multimedia correspondent and works with the sports desk in Mumbai. He mostly covers cricket but his interests include football, tennis and badminton as well....view detail