International Football
FACT FILE ON THE FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP
The 2019 edition which begins in Brazil this Saturday the 18th edition since the inaugural one as U16 World Tournament in China in 1985.
- The competition was first held in 1985 and has since been held by all six confederations: Africa (twice, in Egypt and Nigeria), Asia (five times, in India, Korea Republic, China PR, Japan and the United Arab Emirates), Oceania (once, in New Zealand), North, Central America and the Caribbean (three times, in Canada, Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico), Europe (three times, in Scotland, Italy and Finland) and the upcoming event in Brazil will be for the fourth time the competition is held in South America, previously in Ecuador, Peru and Chile.
- Up to and including the 2005 edition, the tournament was played with 16 teams, which was increased to 24 as of 2007.
- A total of 82 associations have taken part in the FIFA U-17 World Cup to date.
- Of the 24 associations that have qualified just once for the tournament, only Switzerland (2009) won the title at their first and so far only participation.
- Excluding the first edition of the tournament in 1985, the highest number of debutants was seven in 1987, 1989 and 2007.
- Angola, Senegal and Solomon Islands will be the three debutants at this year’s tournament.
- With 53 wins in the under-17 age group, Brazil lead the all-time ranking followed by Nigeria with 46 wins.
- Seven of the 17 tournaments have been won by two African teams – Ghana (2) and Nigeria (5), which is also the most number of titles won by any confederation.
- Nigeria have reached eight finals (1985, 1987, 1993, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2015) and won five, in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
- Ghana reached the final four times in a row (1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997), winning twice (1991 and 1995).
- At the 1993 tournament won by Nigeria, kick-in was employed as experiment instead of the conventional throw-in
- Brazil have made it to the final on five occasions (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2005), winning three times (in 1997, 1999 and 2003).
- As for the number of times that teams have taken part, the USA and Brazil (16 apiece) are practically evergreens, ahead of Argentina and Mexico (13).
- The highest average number of goals per match was recorded at the 1997 and 2003 tournaments in Egypt and Finland (3.66 goals per match), followed by India 2017 (3.52) and Peru 2005 (3.47).
- A total of 664 matches have been played since the inaugural tournament in China PR in 1985.
- Brazil have contested the most matches (82), followed by Nigeria (63) and Argentina (61).
- Nigeria have won an impressive 73% of their 63 FIFA U-17 World Cup games, followed by Brazil with 65% of 82. Switzerland is the only team to have won 100% of their matches but have only played seven.
- Fifteen different teams have played in a FIFA U-17 World Cup final, and nine different teams have lifted the trophy.
- Thirty-two sides, with every confederation represented, have reached the semi-finals, indicating a considerably level playing field in this age group.
- In 1987, 1989, 1999 and 2007, the final was decided on penalties and on each occasion, a team from a different confederation came out on top.
- Three times have teams from the same confederation met in the final, with Ghana playing Nigeria in 1993, Nigeria meeting Mali in 2015, and England against Spain in 2017.
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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