Denied right to host Indonesia… Group draw on the 21st– Manager Kim Eun-joong checks European players
The under-20 (U-20) soccer team led by coach Kim Eun-joong will challenge the best record ever at the World Cup held in Argentina.
On the 18th (Korean time),안전놀이터 the International Football Federation (FIFA) selected Argentina as the host country for this year’s U-20 World Cup. The draw for the final round will be held on the 21st in Zurich, Switzerland.”
This year’s U-20 World Cup, which opens on the 20th of next month, was originally scheduled to be held in Indonesia. However, as anti-Israel public opinion intensified, with claims from Indonesia, an Islamic country, that ‘Israel athletes should be denied entry’, FIFA deprived Indonesia of the hosting rights last month.
Argentina is hosting the U-20 World Cup for the first time in 22 years since 2001. Argentina holds the record for most wins in the tournament, winning six times in total, including winning it as the host country in 2001. Argentina failed to qualify for the World Cup, which is given to the top four countries at the South American U-20 Championships held in Colombia in January this year, but it qualified as the host country while hosting the tournament. Conversely, Indonesia, which was scheduled to participate as the host country, was not allowed to participate in this tournament.
24 countries participated in this tournament and were divided into 6 groups. Kim Eun-joong advanced to the semifinals at the U-20 Asian Cup last month and advanced to the World Cup finals for the third time in a row.
Kim Eun-joong is preparing for the finals step by step. From the 31st of last month to the 7th, coach Kim checked European players such as Lee Hyun-joo (Bayern Munich 2nd division) Lee Ji-han (Freiburg 2nd division) playing in Germany and Cho Jin-ho (Fenerbahce) playing in Turkiye. At the end of this month, domestic players will be summoned and they will begin the final tempering.
Korea won the runner-up in the 2019 Polish tournament, the previous tournament. It is the highest score ever in the FIFA Men’s World Cup. At that time, Lee Kang-in (Mallorca) received the Golden Ball for the best player and earned the nickname ‘Golden Boy’.