What you need to know ahead of Friday's U-20 World Cup draw including possible Flying Eagles opponents

U-20 FIFA World Cup title

What you need to know ahead of Friday's U-20 World Cup draw including possible Flying Eagles opponents

Jidechi Chidiezie 23:57 - 20.04.2023

Nigeria will be one of 24 teams to participate in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

With confusion over the possible new host for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, now settled following the announcement of Argentina as a replacement for Indonesia, attention will finally turn to the official draw for the tournament.

The 2023 edition of the youth championship will see 24 teams from 6 confederations converge in Argentina between May 20 to June 11, with Nigeria's Flying Eagles as one of the participants, having finished in third place at the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations behind Senegal and Gambia.

For the Flying Eagles, it will be a chance to attempt winning the U-20 for the first time after they came so close in 1989, and 2005 but fell to Portugal and Argentina on the last hurdle.

The Flying Eagles won their first medal at the U-20 AFCON since 2015
The Flying Eagles won their first medal at the U-20 AFCON since 2015

2023 U-20 World Cup draw scheduled for April 21

With all the participants now known, the draws for the tournament's grouping would hold on Friday, April 21 at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

The 24 qualified teams are then expected to be drawn into six groups of four.

Argentina have now been announced as Indonesia's replacements for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Argentina have now been announced as Indonesia's replacements for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup

For the Flying Eagles, they stand the chance of facing any of the qualified teams, barring teams in pot 3.

Seeding for 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Pot 1

  • Argentina
  • Uruguay
  • USA
  • France
  • Senegal
  • Italy

Pot 2

  • England 
  • South Korea 
  • New Zealand 
  • Brazil 
  • Ecuador 
  • Colombia

Pot 3

  • Nigeria 
  • Japan 
  • Uzbekistan 
  • Iraq 
  • Honduras 
  • Fiji

Pot 4

  • Guatemala 
  • Dominican Republic 
  • Gambia 
  • Israel 
  • Slovakia 
  • Tunisia

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