Kim Eun-Joong-ho is making waves in Argentina. He’s already qualified for the round of 16 before he’s even played his third group game토토사이트. It’s a very unfamiliar sight for South Koreans, who are used to always counting the cases. At least in the U-20 World Cup, South Korea is the Pride of Asia.

The adult World Cup is a big deal in Asia, but the U-20 World Cup is even bigger.

The U-20 tournament is the gateway to the world… Maradona and Messi both win Golden Balls. Holland is the top scorer

Maradona won the Golden Ball at the 1979 U-20 World Cup. (Yonhap)

Lionel Messi won the tournament’s Golden Ball in 2005, establishing himself as the tournament’s best player. (Yonhap)

The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-20 World Cup has been played for 46 years since its inaugural edition in 1977. Many superstars have gone through the tournament. The winners of the Golden Ball, the tournament’s most prestigious award, are a testament to its status as a showcase for budding stars.

The late Diego Maradona was recognized for leading Argentina to victory in 1979. He’s not the only one. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), the GOAT who rewrote the history of soccer worldwide, also won the Golden Ball in 2005. Other Golden Ball winners include Brazilian striker Adriano in 1993, Sergio Aguero (Argentina), who made his mark as a Man City striker in 2007, and Paul Pogba (Juventus), a key midfielder for the French national team and a Juventus-Manchester United mainstay, in 2013.

Holland, the best goalie in the world today, is the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals. That was in 2019. (Yonhap)

Elling Holland (Norway-Manchester City), the best striker in the world today and a “monster striker” with 36 Premier League (EPL) goals, scored a whopping nine goals and was the top scorer at the 2019 tournament in Poland.

Lee Kang-in wins the Golden Ball at the 2019 tournament… A golden generation is born

Lee Kang-in of the U-20 national soccer team won the Golden Ball at the 2019 tournament. (Yonhap)

South Korea also has a shining star at the U-20 level. This is Lee Kang-in (Mallorca), who won the Golden Ball at the 2019 World Cup in Poland. Led by Lee, Korea’s men’s soccer team finished as the best runners-up at a FIFA-organized tournament. It was the birth of the so-called Golden Generation.

After defeating ‘powerhouse’ Argentina 2-1 in the group stage, South Korea went on to win the round of 16 against Korea, the quarterfinals against Senegal, and the final against Ecuador, but fell short of the title with a 1-3 loss to Ukraine.

Lee was Mallorca’s ace in the hole. He was touted as the best dribbler in La Liga. He is currently receiving offers from the EPL. The possibility of a move in the summer transfer window continues to be a possibility. In the tournament, South Korea has also been making waves with the likes of forward Kim Yong-hak and defender Kim Ji-soo.

South Korea is the undisputed king of Asia at the U20s… 1 runner-up, 1 quarterfinal, 5 quarterfinals

South Korea has a strong record at the U-20 World Cup with one runner-up finish, two quarterfinals and five quarterfinals (Yonhap)

This is the 23rd edition of the U-20 World Cup, which began as the 1977 World Youth Football Championship, and South Korea has qualified 16 times in 23 attempts, failing to advance to the knockout stages seven times.

On five occasions, they have reached the quarterfinals, and on two occasions they have reached the quarterfinals or higher.

After being knocked out in the group stage at both the 1979 Japan and 1981 Australia tournaments, South Korea made history by reaching the quarterfinals of the 1983 Mexico tournament in their third appearance. In the 16-team tournament, the team’s prospects looked bleak after a 0-2 loss to Scotland in their first group game, but they bounced back with wins over Mexico and Australia (both 2-1) to reach the quarterfinals.

Jong-hwan Park’s side even beat South American powerhouse Uruguay 2-1 to reach the final, only to lose 1-2 in the quarterfinals to the ‘strongest’ Brazil, which included Dunga and Bebetu. This is the myth of the fourth-place finish in Mexico, which was introduced to the public right before the 2002 World Cup.

Coach Kim Eun-joong’s eyes are much higher than they are now (Yonhap)

At the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina, Kim Eun-Joong made it to the round of 16 in three consecutive tournaments (2017, 2019, 2023) after collecting one win and one draw in two group games.

If they can use the momentum from knocking out ‘favorites’ France in their first game to reach the quarterfinals, it will be their sixth quarterfinal appearance in history, and if they make it to the semifinals, it will be their third quarterfinal appearance since 1983-2019.

South Korea The so-called ‘semi-defending champions’. They are the runners-up of the last tournament, so the bar is set higher. They don’t dare say it out loud, but they want to win.

The South Korean team will play their final group game against Gambia at the Mendoza Stadium in Argentina at 6 a.m. on Sept. 29 for the top spot in the group.