FIFA `S FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTS
The FIFA organized events are made up of the age grade tournaments the U17 and U20 world cups, the Olympics with a subsequent rebranding of the event as an age grade tournament in 1992 with each participants allowed three over aged players, initially it was played at an amateur level, the other tournaments are the senior world cup and the confederation`s cup for regional champions, world cup hosts and world champions which has been abolished. The achievement of winning at all levels can be called a grand slam-a sweep of all the available football trophies, A quintuplet of trophies a last of its kind because of the replacement of the confederation`s cup with the world club cup.
A TOURNAMENT TO CHERISH
Some countries have been able to produce success at a particular tournament which is worthy of mention At the U17 world cup, Saudi Arabia (1989), Roger Federer’s Switzerland in (2009), at the U20 world cup Portugal (1989,1991) and Ukraine (2019), at the Olympics, winners are serial champions Hungary (1952,1964,1968), with Belgium, East Germany (united with west and are known as Unified Germany), Czech, Poland, Sweden, Cameroun and Canada having a title. For Denmark winners at the confederation cup in 1995 what makes this remarkable was that they did not qualify for euro 1992 but called as a replacement for Yugoslavia and they won the competition with some impressive performances and took that form with them and had another stunning victory in the confederation cup, stuff of legends.
DOUBLE CATEGORY CHAMPIONS
Various countries have been able to win in several categories, the black stars of Ghana are the only African nation with titles in both the U17(1991,1995) and U20(2009), Nigeria the dominant nation in the U17 category with five titles and an Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996. A certain Kanu Nwankwo was the star of the Olympics and Japan 1993 junior title run with Wilson Oruma also featured prominently in both. Yugoslavia, (1987 and as Serbia in 2015) U20 world champions and Olympics (1960) winner are also double champion. At the senior world cup, the Italians are specialists winning four times, in the 30s they were Olympic (1936) and back-to back world champions (1934,1938) a dominance spanning four years but no major impact at the junior category.
ALMOST THE COMPLETE TROPHY HAUL
Argentina the leading nation at the U20 world cup with her first victory inspired by Diego Maradona in 1979,their other conquest had other notable superstars like Lionel Messi in 2005, other household names like Riquelme, Sergio Aguero, Di Maria, Walter Samuel, Gago, Aimar, Cambiasso, Biglia and others were champions and part of different teams that helped Argentina to win six, the most by any nation and for the ruling body their important objective which is youth development was achieved, stars shining through the ranks, Maradona was able to win the youth championship in 1979, and then the ultimate, the senior world cup in Mexico 86 which Messi and Di Maria emulated when they won in Dubai in 2022. For the English that struggled at the youth tournaments, they created a youth development project with the high point being the double victory in 2017, claiming both the U17 and U20 tournaments, matching Brazil`s feat of 2003, adding to their 1966 world cup and Olympic titles won as Great Britain, The Soviet union have being disintegrated with Russia as their strongest football force, have added the Olympic titles to the U17 and U20 titles, they won the U17 second edition in 1987 and the Olympics the following year and were beaten finalist at the euros stopped by the great Dutch superstars who they had beaten in the group stages. The Spanish are also a force in several categories winning the U20, Olympics and the senior world cup, it is also worthy of mention that they have been four-time runners up at the U17 level. Cesc Fabrigas the mvp in 2003 even top scorer as a midfielder,went on to provide the killer assist for the solitary goal that lifted them the world cup in south Africa. Also in that team was Captain Iker Casillas, Xavi and Marchena members of the U20 world cup win in Nigeria. they defeated host France to win another Olympics gold medal. it was the first time europe as reclaiming the gold since 1992, For Mexico multiple winners at the U17, with a title
each at the Olympics and the confederation cup. this is an achievements which is remarkable because it started recently with their trophy collection spanning between 1999 to 2012.
Uruguay became double Olympic (1924 and 1928) and world champions (1930) they added another world title in 1950 in Brazil. they won the U20 in 2023 in Argentina.
This transition from different youth set up at various tournaments has been very important for the development of football and players which is a very laudable step from FIFA and has produced superstars that have evolved into genuine legends of the game, never an easy step, to maintain a high level of performance from cradle to maturity. Recognition must be given to players that have excelled from junior to the senior level, emphasis on players that have won the junior world cup (U17 or U20) then either the Olympics or the world cup or the confederation cup a combination of the three. This is a golden transition, success at all stages of an international career.
Some of the recognizable stars
Winning at different levels was a success achieved by the Brazilians, iconic names like Ronaldinho, Dida,1993 U20 champion, 2002 senior world cup winner and double confederation cup winner (1997,2005)1983 world cup winners had Dunga, Bebeto, their first U20 victory in 1983, Brazil`s 1994 world title win and their subsequent victory at the confederations cup in 1997, the second phase of the FIFA dominance introduced the most recognizable of such stars, one of the immortals in sport, Ronaldinho, world champion in1997 at U17, world champion at 2002, scoring a great goal against England and was a key part of the confederations cup win in 2005, he was captain and man of the match, at club level he started the emergence of the Barca team in club football, his reward a two time world player of the year( 2004,2005)award, he was a delight for all genuine football and sports lovers, breath taking at his best, his skill set was an abundant and mesmerizing work of art and created several defining moments,delivered always with a smile. For players to achieve such success at those levels is one of the actualization of FIFA, empowerment through sports. Additionally, Messi and Di Maria has joined this elite group while Lionel won the U20 in 2005, Angel did the same in 2007 and both combined to score the winner at the 2008 Olympics against Nigeria helping them retain the title, Messi the provider with Di Maria with a clinical finish,both scored at the world cup finals against France. Messi went on to become the most
successful player in football with a record 44 titles after helping the world champions retain the Copa America.
THE BEST FROM THE REST-FOOTBALL GRAND SLAM
The first country to achieve the international grand slam, a worthy and great milestone is the French federation, the last piece of the puzzle was unraveled in 2013 they won the U20 world cup with Pogba and Umtiti both also,winning the senior world cup in Russia. their first trophy was won in 1984. infact They won two, the European championship and Olympic titles. For the Brazilians, the journey started when the great team with Pele at only 17 years,swept the world aside at the senior world cup winning three of four editions, a record and the last to win it back to back between 1958 and 1970, they dominated the world cup, the Selecao added the U20 in 1983, The U17 and especially the Olympics was becoming difficult but that was sorted out with a win in 1997 they also retained it in 1999 and added a third in 2003 while the fourth in 2019 and for the elusive Olympics, they won a double in 2016 and 2020. Some nations like Brazil or Argentina(still trying to win)may argue that tournaments like the U17 would have been won a long time ago if it had started during the era of their best players like Pele or Maradona, the Brazilians usually sent their best players to the Olympics Romario in 1988(he became top scorer with a record 7 goals) Ronaldo, Bebeto (top scorer in Atlanta 1996) and Roberto Carlos in 1996, Ronaldinho in 2008, This strategy paid off first in 2016 with Neymar and in 2020 Dani Alves a multiple champion the most decorated player of all time (before Messi eclipsed him)helping them in retaining the Olympics. Germany is the latest national team completing football when they interestingly defeated France to win the U17 world title, it was historic, winning against a team that were a standard and matching a clean sweep of titles at all levels. The Germans won in Indonesia in 2023.
France (2013), Brazil(2016) and recently Germany(2023) has completed the football grand slam
FIFA has developed a structure for development and nations have benefited immensely by establishing a stranglehold where they can, at different levels and also creating value for their players` career at club level.
