The 22nd version of the Under 20 FIFA World Cup is all set for this year. The tournament will see the best U-20 footballers battle it out for the prestigious position at the much sought-after global event, but will any Newcastle players feature? The biennial championship has been running been running successfully since its inauguration in 1977.
The previous winners of the tournament, England, lost to Norway by 3-0 during the play-offs for the last qualifying spot in the 2018 UEFA European U-19 Championship held in Finland, due to which they will not be the defending champions. England happen to be the sixth consecutive winning team that has failed to qualify for the following U-20 World Cup.
Dates
The U-20 FIFA World Cup will kick off on the 23rd May, 2019, and the finals will be held on 15th June, 2019.
Meet The Host
Poland defeated India in a close call to become the host of the celebrated tournament. The U-20 FIFA World Cup will be returning to Europe after 6 years with the last tournament hosted by Turkey in 2013. It will be the first time Poland will get such an honoured opportunity. The nation has hosted other footballs events such as the UEFA Euro 2012 and UEFA European U-21 2017.
Shortlisted Venues
The Stadion Widzewa located in Łódź will be the venue for the opening and final game of the tournament. With a capacity of 18,008 seats, Stadion Widzewa is the second-largest stadium, the first being Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium that can house nearly 20,247 fans.
One of the venues, Lubin, had to withdraw its candidature due to incapacity of offering hotel accommodation of large capacity. It was replaced by Bielsko-Biala.
The final draw of the tournament will be held at the Gdynia Sports Arena, Gdynia on the 24th of February.
Qualifying Teams
A total of 24 nations will battle it out to emerge as a winner of the U-20 FIFA World Cup. Being the host, the National Football Team of Poland automatically qualifies for the championship. Apart from Poland, four countries each from the six different continental competitions will be qualifying as participants.
The qualifying nations for Africa (CAF) and South America (CONMEBOL) are yet to be announced and you may follow the news to stay updated.
