2005 FIFA U20 World Cup: The Rise of Lionel Messi

 

The 2005 U20 World Cup was, without question, Lionel Messi’s stage. The Argentine wonderkid not only dazzled scouts, fans, teammates, and opponents alike, but also captivated the entire footballing world. It was the tournament that announced his arrival — and the rest, as they say, is history.

*La Pulga* didn’t just win the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player; he also claimed the Golden Boot with six goals and two assists. Remarkably, he became one of only three Argentine players ever to clinch both individual honours at a single edition. What made Messi’s triumph even more special was the manner in which Argentina captured their fifth title — through a rocky road reminiscent of their 2022 World Cup journey. After losing their opening game, José Pekerman’s side went on a six-match winning streak, with Messi scoring in every knockout round, right through to the final — just as he would do in Qatar 17 years later.

Tournament Facts

The 2005 U20 World Cup didn’t boast many headline-grabbing curiosities, but it was notable as the first FIFA youth tournament held in Europe since 1991.

* The tournament ran from 10 June to 2 July.

* The six host cities were Utrecht, Kerkrade, Emmen, Tilburg, Enschede, and Doetinchem.

* Benin and Switzerland made their debuts.

European Early Elimination

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the 2005 edition was the absence of any European sides in the semi-finals — a major shock considering Europe had the most representatives, with seven teams (the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine). For the first time in years, the final four was split evenly between South America (CONMEBOL) and Africa (CAF).

In the end, Argentina met Nigeria in the final after seeing off Colombia, Spain and their arch rival, Brazil, while the Flying Eagles eliminated Ukraine and hosts the Netherlands. Messi, the tournament’s undisputed star, sealed the title with two nerveless penalties, as Argentina triumphed 2–1 to lift their fifth U20 World Cup trophy.

Tournament Highlights

Group Stage final standings (The one in bold advanced to the knockout stage, the top two from each group, plus best third place)

Grup A	Grup B	Grup C
Netherlands	PRC	Spain
Japan	Ukraine	Morocco
Benin	Turkey	Chile
Australia	Panama	Honduras
Grup D	Grup E	Grup F
USA	Colombia	Brasil
Argentina	Syria	Nigeria
Germany	Italy	South Korea
Egypt	Canada	Switzerland

** = penalties

* = extra time

Round of 16:

-          PRC vs Germany 2-3

-          Brasil vs Syria 1-0

-          Colombia vs Argentina 1-2

-          Spanyol vs Turkiye 3-0

-          Morocco vs Japan 1-0

-          USA vs Italy 1-3

-          Nigeria vs Ukraine 1-0

-          Netherlands vs Chile 3-0

Quarterfinals:

-          Germany vs Brasil 1-2*

-          Argentina vs Spain 3-1

-          Morocco vs Italy 2-2 (4-2)**

-          Nigeria vs Netherlands 1-1 (10-9)**

Semifinal:

-          Brasil vs Argentina 1-2

-          Nigeria vs Morocco 3-0

 

3^rd place playoff: Brasil vs Morocco 2-1

Final: Argentina vs Nigeria 2-1

 

Top scorer: Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 gol

MVP: Lionel Messi (Argentina)

 

From Youth to Stardom

Beyond Messi, the 2005 U20 World Cup also produced several names who would go on to become stars in their own right. Among them were Radamel Falcao, John Obi Mikel, Keisuke Honda, and the Spanish duo David Silva and Cesc Fàbregas. Here are the players from the 2005 tournament who later became key figures at senior level:

Players	World Cup edition (senior)
Danny Vukovic (Australia)	2018, 2022
Mark Milligan (Australia)	2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Keisuke Honda (Japan)	2010, 2014, 2018
Ron Vlaar (Netherlands)	2014
Hedwiges Maduro (Netherlands)	2006
Quincy Abiye (Netherlands/Ghana)	2010
Ibrahim Afellay (Netherlands)	2010
Ryan Babel (Netherlands)	2006
Haris Medunjanin (Netherlands /Bosnia)	2014
Roman Torres (Panama)	2018
Marcelo Diaz (Chile)	2014
Mathias Fernandez (Chile)	2010
Gonzalo Jara (Chile)	2010, 2014
Jose Fuenzalida (Chile)	2014
Jorge Claros (Honduras)	2014
Ramon Nunez (Honduras)	2010
Emilio Izaguirre (Honduras)	2010, 2014
Raul Albiol (Spain)	2014
Juanfran (Spain)	2014
Fernando Llorente (Spain)	2010, 2014
David Silva (Spain)	2010, 2014, 2018
Cesc Fabregas (Spain)	2006, 2010, 2014
Gabriel Palletta (Argentina/Italy)	2014
Ezequiel Garay (Argentina)	2014
Lucas Biglia (Argentina)	2014, 2018
Fernando Gago (Argentina)	2014
Leo Messi (Argentina)	2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina)	2014
Sergio Aguero (Argentina)	2010, 2014
Shikabala (Egypt)	2018
Marcel Jansen (Germany)	2006, 2010
Jonathan Spector (USA)	2010
Benny Felihaber (USA)	2010
Asmir Begovic (Canada/ Bosnia)	2014
Carlos Valdes (Colombia)	2014
Juan Zuniga (Colombia)	2014
Cristian Zapata (Colombia)	2014, 2018
Radamel Falcao (Colombia)	2018
Fredy Guarin (Colombia)	2014
Abel Aguilar (Colombia)	2014, 2018
David Ospina (Colombia)	2014, 2018
Felipe Luis (Brasil)	2018
Taiye Taiwo (Nigeria)	2010
Onyekachi Apam (Nigeria)	2010
Chinedu Obasi (Nigeria)	2010
Sani Kaita (Nigeria)	2010
John Obi Mikel (Nigeria)	2014, 2018
Kim Jin-kyu (South Korea)	2006
Park Chu-young (South Korea)	2010, 2014
Lee Keun-ho (South Korea)	2014
Jung Sung-ryong (South Korea)	2010, 2014
Johan Djorou (Switzerland)	2006, 2014, 2018
Phillipe Sanderos (Switzerland)	2006, 2010, 2014
Tranquillo Barnetta (Switzerland)	2006, 2010
Reto Ziegler (Switzerland)	2010, 2014
Blerim Dzemaili (Switzerland)	2006, 2014, 2018