2001 FIFA World Youth Championship final

2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup final
José Amalfitani Stadium in 2024
Event2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Argentina Ghana
Argentina Ghana
3 0
Date8 July 2001
VenueJosé Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires
RefereeManuel Mejuto González (Spain)
Attendance32,000

The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship final was the final match and culmination of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, hosted by Argentina. The game was played at the José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires on 8 July 2001 and was contested between Argentina and Ghana. The match was won by Argentina, 3–0, obtaining their fourth FIFA U-20 World Cup title.[1]

Background

The hosts, Argentina, who were playing a tournament at home for the first time since the 1978 FIFA World Cup,[2] had easily reached the final by defeating rivals in both group and knockout stages by a margin of more than two goals, with the exception of the round of 16 match against China, which ended 2–1.[2] Previously, the South Americans had defeated Finland (2–0), Egypt (7–1), and Jamaica 5–1.[3][4][5] After winning its game against China, the Argentines defeated France in the quarterfinals (3–1) and Paraguay in the semifinals by a crushing score of 5–0.[6]

In Group F, Ghana had defeated Paraguay and Iran while ending in a goalless draw in its match against France.[7][8] At the round of 16 game, the African team earned a 1–0 victory against Ecuador and defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals, with John Mensah scoring a golden goal in the 93rd minute of extra time.[9][8]

Match

The final match took place at the José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires on 8 July 2001 before 32,000 spectators. Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto González was appointed for the final, with assistant referees José Ramírez Díaz of Mexico and Simeon Tsolakidis of Greece.[10]

Argentina completely dominated the game,[11] opening the score in the sixth minute when Diego Colotto beat the Ghanaian goalkeeper Maxwell Banahene to put the albiceleste forward 1–0.[10] In the 14th minute, Argentina's star player Javier Saviola scored the second goal after a head kick.[10] After Saviola's goal, the Argentines contained Ghanaian offensives and took control of the ball possession.[10] In the 73rd minute, Maxi Rodríguez scored the final goal after an assist by Andrés D'Alessandro to put Argentina forward by a margin of three goals.[10][12]

Referee Mejuto González issued a total of three yellow cards, two to Ghanaian players (John Mensah and Sulley Muntari) while defender Leonardo Ponzio was the Argentine player shown the card.[10]

Summary

2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
Final
 Argentina3–0 Ghana
 Report
Attendance: 32,000

Assistant referees:
José Ramírez Díaz (Mexico)
Simeon Tsolakidis (Greece)

Legacy

Argentine media largely consider the team of 2001 as a trailblazer, highlighting the figures of D'Alessandro, Maxi Rodríguez and Saviola as the most outstanding.[11][12] The title also crowned the golden era lived by Argentine youth teams under the managership of José Pekerman.[2][13] Argentina would win its next under-20 World Cup four years later in the Netherlands, where Lionel Messi debuted in the national youth team.[14][15] Ghana, on the other side, won the title in 2009 by defeating Brazil in the final of the tournament held in Egypt.[16][17]

References

  1. ↑ "Argentina's famed U-20 partnerships". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "En 2001 Argentina organizó el Mundial Sub 20 con un equipo que quedó en la historia". ESPN Latin America (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Las novedades de Ecuador para el Mundial Sub20". CONMEBOL (in European Spanish). 12 May 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Argentina goleó a Jamaica en el Mundial Sub 20". Ambito. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Argentina 2001: el Mundial sub 20 que quedó en la memoria colectiva". El Gráfico (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mundial Sub-20 2001, la Selección Argentina más contundente de la era Pékerman - TyC Sports". www.tycsports.com (in Spanish). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "2001 results". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Africa has proud history at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup". Africa has proud history at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Las novedades de Ecuador para el Mundial Sub20". CONMEBOL (in European Spanish). 12 May 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mundial Sub20: Argentina doblegó 3 a 0 a Ghana y conquistó así cuarto título mundial". La Nación (in Spanish). 8 July 2001. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 "A 20 años del título del Mundial Sub 20 del 2001 en Argentina: la intimidad organizada en "Ministerios" y por qué los chicos se sintieron como rockstars". infobae (in Spanish). 8 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  12. 1 2 "A 20 añas del Mundial sub 20 de Argentina - TyC Sports". www.tycsports.com (in Spanish). 8 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "2001. La revista del Sub 20 campeón". El Gráfico (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Edwards, Daniel (1 May 2020). "'I asked Leo, what was your name?!' - The day unknown Messi fired Argentina to World Cup glory". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Messi's 20-year Argentina rollercoaster". FIFA. 16 August 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "Ghana triumphant at U20 World Cup". 16 October 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Ghana stuns Brazil to win U20 World Cup". ABC News. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
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