The 1997 U20 World Cup in Malaysia marked a new era for FIFA’s youth showpiece, with a significant expansion in the number of participants. For the first time, the tournament grew from 16 to 24 teams, a format that remains to this day. It also meant the knockout stages began in the round of 16, with the four best third-placed sides joining the top two from each group. The 1997 Tournament in Numbers * Played between 16 June and 5 July. * Six host cities: Shah Alam, Kuantan, Kangar, Johor Bahru, Alor Setar and Kuching. * With the exception of UEFA, every confederation was handed more slots. Asia, Africa and CONCACAF doubled their representation from two to four, while South America gained one extra spot. Oceania, meanwhile, received an automatic berth. * Four debutants made the stage: Belgium, South Africa, the UAE and hosts Malaysia. Argentina Won Back-to-Back Argentina followed in the footsteps of Brazil and Portugal by becoming just the third nat...
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