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2005 FIFA U20 World Cup: The Rise of Lionel Messi

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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

 

3rd 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

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