Lionel Messi To Erling Haaland, Here Are 5 Bersinar Football Stars At The U-20 World Cup

Manchester City and the Norwegian national team, Erling Haaland. (Photo: Twitter @ManCity)

JAKARTA The 2023 Indonesian U-20 World Cup will start on May 20 to June 11. A total of 24 teams will fight for the trophy at the event.

This competition has built a reputation as a producer of footballers in the future, including this year's edition in Indonesia.

In previous editions, hundreds of talented players have been born from this event. Argentine legend Diego Maradona is among one of the footballers who has honed their skills in this competition.

Here are five active football stars who have impressed in recent editions of the U-20 World Cup, including Paul Pogba and Lionel Messi:

1. Erling Haaland

In the 2019 edition tournament in Poland, Norway played their third group stage match against Honduras without bringing any hope after defeats to Uruguay and New Zealand in the first two matches.

After failing to score in the first two matches of the group stage, Haaland appeared fresh against Honduras. It only took him seven minutes to score his first goal in this tournament after grabbing a pass from Jens Hauge.

The player who now defends Manchester City added three more goals before the break to help Norway take the lead with a 5-0 lead.

In the second half of the match, Haaland appeared even more violent by scoring five of his next seven goals to help Norway win 12-0. This is the biggest win ever in the U-20 World Cup.

Haaland's nine goals against Honduras were the most scored by a player in the competition since Javier Saviola scored 11 goals for Argentina in 2001. Haaland later got the Golden Boot of the event.

2. Fikayo Tomori

The England squad that won the U-20 World Cup in the Republic of Korea in 2017 was filled with quality and familiar faces including Tomori.

Tomori is among the back rows of The Three Lions who have conceded only three times on their way to the final. While in the competition, Tomori has always been the main choice for tactician Paul Simpson.

At that time Tomori teamed up with Jake Clarke-Salter or Dael Fry to help England top Group A. They then beat Costa Rica, Mexico and Italy before beating Venezuela in the final.

3. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Unexpected Serbia could come out as champions in New Zealand 2015. That cannot be separated from the role played by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as a midfielder.

Milinkovic-Savic, who has won 39 caps for senior team and is one of Europe's most accomplished midfielders, featured in all three group stage games, scored an incredible free-kick goal against Mali and scored the first goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico.

He was not sent down during a win in the last 16 over Hungary before returning to appear in the quarter-finals against the United States and his next win over Mali in the semifinals.

Milinkovic-Savic then played his part in a dramatic 2-1 win over Brazil in the final. He also won the Bronze Ball award after the tournament.

4. Paul Pogba

Pogba is one of three players to win the U-20 World Cup Gold Ball and at the same time lift the event trophy. Pogba enjoyed an amazing tournament in 2013 when he captained Les Bleues as champions in Turkey.

5. Lionel Messi

In 2005, Messi became the third player to win Golden Balls and Golden Boots at the U-20 World Cup. He followed in the footsteps of Geovani from Brazil and compatriot Sapiola.

At that time Messi helped La Albiceleste recover from defeat in the first match to qualify from the group stage. He scored in a 2-0 win over Egypt and provided assists for the winner against Germany.

Messi also performed outstanding after that by never missing a goal in every game of the knockout to bring Argentina to the final. He then bagged two goals in the final match against Nigeria to ensure Argentina won 2-1.

Messi remains the only player besides Maradona to win the World Cup at the U-20 and senior levels.