THE first Fifa U20 World Cup since 2019 commences this weekend as the usually biennial tournament showcasing football’s up-and-coming international stars finally returns.

The 2021 edition was postponed until this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the organisation of the rearranged tournament has not been without its hitches and political controversy.

Original hosts Indonesia were stripped of the tournament and their place in it at the last minute after the country’s pro-Palestine stance resulted in anti-Israel protests following the Israel U20 team’s qualification for the tournament.

This was enough for Fifa to remove hosting rights from a football-mad country that was in need of a boost.

The Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster in Indonesia in October 2022 resulted in 135 deaths from a crush after thousands of fans scrambled to escape tear gas deployed by riot police after some fans invaded the pitch.

The U20 World Cup would have been a much-needed event for football fans and players in the country to look forward to, but the protests against Israel’s qualification saw Fifa eventually move the tournament to Argentina.

Israel U20s qualified last year after reaching the final of the 2022 Uefa European U19 Championship. The tournament served as the Uefa region’s U20 World Cup qualifier with the top five teams —Slovakia, Italy, France, and champions England — also securing a place.

Once Israel’s qualification was known, the backlash began in Indonesia, which is the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world.

Governor of the Bali island region of Indonesia Wayan Koster encouraged the country’s sports minister Zainudin Amali to respect their stance on Palestine by not allowing the Israel team into the country to participate in the tournament.

“There is no diplomatic relationship between the Indonesian government and the Israeli government,”  Koster wrote in a letter to Amali.

“We request the minister adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali.”

Fifa gave only vague explanations for its decision to strip Indonesia of the tournament.

“Following today’s meeting between Fifa president Gianni Infantino and president of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) Erick Thohir, Fifa has decided, due to the current circumstances, to remove Indonesia as the host of the Fifa U-20 World Cup 2023,” Fifa said in a statement on March 29.

It added that “potential sanctions against the PSSI may also be decided at a later stage” but also said it “remains committed to actively assisting the PSSI, in close co-operation and with the support of the government of President Widodo, in the transformation process of Indonesian football following the tragedy that occurred in October 2022.”

It was a huge blow for Indonesian football and the millions of football fans in the country, not least because their team will no longer be taking part.

They have been replaced by new hosts Argentina, who had failed to qualify via the 2023 South American U20 Championship after being knocked out in the group stage.

The recently crowned World Cup champions at senior level are fortunate to get another chance despite that poor showing from their U20s, but will still fancy their chances under coach Javier Mascherano.

Argentina’s neighbours and international rivals Brazil went through the South American U20 Championship unbeaten and finished top of the final stage, qualifying along with Colombia, Ecuador, and Uruguay.

The Brazil squad includes attacking midfielder Andrey Santos, on loan at Vasco da Gama from Chelsea, who will be one to look out for, but there is some disappointment that one of the stars of this age group, Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, has not been released by his club for this tournament.

His loss might be Marcos Leonardo’s gain, as the 20-year-old Santos forward looks set to wear the No 9 shirt for Brazil and will be watched by scouts from across Europe.

Vitor Roque isn’t the only player not released for this tournament by his club side. Several countries will be without key players, the most notable absentee for England being Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.

The former Aston Villa youth was one of England’s goalscorers in that U19 Championship final, but was controversially withdrawn from the U20 World Cup squad at the last minute by Chelsea.

Chukwuemeka has started just one game for the West London club since joining last summer for £20 million and has not appeared in the previous seven matchday squads.

The tournament experience in Argentina would have been better for his development than being available for some meaningless end-of-season Premier League games he has no guarantee of appearing in. 

Frank Lampard will now be under pressure to start him, and teammate Lewis Hall, whom Chelsea also refused to release for the tournament.

England will still be confident in their squad and have recently announced the appointment of former England Women’s head coach Hope Powell as a technical adviser.

“I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to bring Hope on board,” said head coach Ian Foster.

“Her vast experience of international football and the knowledge she has from working with Fifa will be invaluable to us.”

Midfielders Alex Scott of Bristol City and Aaron Ramsey of Aston Villa, plus Tottenham forward Dane Scarlett, will likely play key roles if England are to progress.

U20 tournaments are often the best showcase for young talents who are on the verge of senior football at club and international level, hence some players being held back due to their value to their clubs.

It is also a tournament that serves as a lighter, more laid-back version of the senior men’s World Cup, allowing the game to be spread to other countries with smaller stadia and more basic infrastructure.

Poland was an ideal host in 2019, and it is a shame that Indonesia was eventually deemed unsuitable this year.

Some of the blame for that has to lie with the country’s politicians. They shot themselves in the foot, ultimately ending their own country’s participation and hosting of the tournament in an attempt to remove Israel, whose players earned and deserve their place at this tournament.

Indonesia’s pro-Palestine stance should be supported, but the country’s government is far from a beacon for freedom and human rights, especially for its indigenous peoples.

At the same time, Fifa is also very inconsistent when it comes to political issues, even though it would probably claim to keep out of politics.

Its banning of Russian teams from its competitions while allowing those from other aggressor nations involved in conflicts to compete, is a political decision.

Its hosting of the next Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, despite the country’s attacks on Yemen, is a political choice.

The hosting of an unusually large number of tournaments and events in the Middle East, including five of the last six Club World Cups (the most recent was held in Morocco but Saudi advertising was omnipresent), is a political choice, but likely driven by money.

Even the lower-profile, 50 Wonderkids to Look Out For, full-of-optimism U20 World Cup can’t escape global politics, and failed 2023 hosts Indonesia are unfortunate to be one of few countries to actually fall foul of it while Fifa accommodates most others regardless of their actions.