The U-20 World Cup in Chile closed on Sunday with Morocco’s historic victory that gave them their first title in soccer, thanks to their goal scorer Yassir Zabiri who, with a double in the 12th and 29th minutes, erased Argentina’s dreams at the National Stadium in Santiago and conquered his own.
The 24th version of the U-20 World Cup has left 13 countries having won the tournament, and made the Moroccans the second African team to win, after Ghana’s title in 2009.
Morocco U-20 World Cup champion
Morocco takes the U20 World Cup title for the first time in its history! 🇲🇦#U20WC pic.twitter.com/FP4Arw565K
– FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_en) October 20, 2025
Argentina remains the tournament’s biggest winner with six titles (1979, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007), followed by Brazil with five (1983, 1985, 1993, 2003, 2011).
With two trophies are Portugal (1989-1991) and Serbia (1987-2015), although the former won it as Yugoslavia, while with one are Spain (1999), Ghana (2009), Germany (1981), France (2013), England (2017), Ukraine (2019), the Soviet Union (1977) and Uruguay (2023).
The Moroccans’ first crown, won in front of 43,000 fans in the stands, is the tangible result of their soccer development, and with a superb 2-0 win, they have earned the right to be considered a strong contender in the future.
The Albiceleste’s seventh crown, which they had been longing for for 18 years when they last won it in Canada, slipped through their fingers and ended with a surprise defeat after having been solid and consistent throughout the tournament.
1. Morocco, fighting lions
The Moroccan national team overcame its own fears and, after losing this year’s U-20 Africa Cup of Nations final, set out with a vengeance to achieve its goal and underline the growth of its soccer.
After Morocco’s senior national team finished fourth at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the good performance of the country’s teams is no longer a surprise, they have earned the respect of their rivals.
The Africans confirmed the impression of authority they left with their appearance at the tournament with two unquestionable victories over Spain and Brazil, in the most difficult group of the tournament, which also included Mexico, their only defeat coming in a match played with substitutes.
Morocco was a team that conquered with its passion and humility to play and is added as a new champion, just as La Celeste did two years ago.
2. Argentina had a date with reality
Pure long faces after Argentina’s defeat in the U-20 World Cup! ❌🇦🇷
The reaction of the runners-up, after losing to champion Morocco. pic.twitter.com/eiNBT9BNkZ
– TNT Sports Mexico (@tntsportsmex) October 20, 2025
The Albiceleste’s drought of titles remains after this U-20 World Cup, but the South American country had also gone almost two decades without even being on the podium or in the top four in this category, and at least that streak was broken.
Up to the final she had performed impeccably, arriving undefeated and even in the most difficult matches she had known how to control the game, adapt to the moments of the match and use her resources to achieve the goal.
Coach Diego Placente failed to make history and also win the coaching crown in this category, after having been a champion as a player in Malaysia 1997, coached by José Néstor Pekerman.
Placente, however, left a good sample of his work as coach of Argentina’s youth teams, after a long work since 2017 that began coaching the U-15s and then the U-17s.
3. Disappointments: Brazil and the ‘Fair Play’ criteria.
The Brazilian team, which came into the tournament as the South American U-20 champions, was eliminated in the group stage without winning a game, with a draw against Mexico (2-2) and defeats against Morocco (1-2) and Spain (1-0).
The crisis in Brazilian soccer at all levels was once again evident and led to the dismissal of coach Ramon Menezes, who barely managed to score three goals with this youth team.
FIFA’s ‘Fair Play’ criterion for the tie-breaker in the event of equality in all categories, which favors the classification of the teams that received the fewest yellow cards in the tournament, was criticized.
Under these rules, the host team Chile advanced to the round of 16 over Egypt, despite losing to the Africans, and the first place in Group F was also decided, which was won by Colombia over Norway, after a draw.
4. Passion for soccer in Chile
This is how Morocco was crowned world champion. 🇦🇷🆚🇲🇦#U20WC pic.twitter.com/RwBdYZgMDu
– FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_en) October 20, 2025
Chile, as the host country of the tournament, ratified itself as a good organizer of sporting events; in this U-20 World Cup it surpassed the edition in Argentina two years ago in terms of massive attendance at the games.
It registered more than 260,000 spectators on average during the first round, and remained in good numbers until the final, leaving a high bar for the next venues in 2027, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
The southern country’s national team was eliminated in the round of 16, but Chileans continued to support the tournament. Their team, although it was unable to achieve major goals, laid the foundations for a renewal of the senior team.
With information from EFE
