Brazil 0-6 Argentina
Not quite the start to the 2025 South American U-20 Championship the Seleção had hoped for.
2024 was a difficult year for the Brazil national team — poor results, the risk of failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and a below-par showing at the Copa América all contributed to former legends all but disowning the Seleção.
During such times when Brazil — or indeed any footballing superpower — fails to live up to its population’s lofty expectations, the inclination is to look to the future. The attentions turn to the next big things coming off the endless conveyor belt of talent who, no doubt, will be making everything all right again in a matter of months.
Imagine the collective Brazilian shock, then, when their under-20 side suffered a humiliating defeat against its greatest rival.
Last Thursday, the 2025 South American U-20 Championship kicked-off in Venezuela. The tournament features all 10 CONMEBOL members and is the biggest age-restricted national team competition on the continent.
Five venues across four host cities are being used — two stadiums in Caracas, one apiece in Barquisimeto, Valencia and Puerto La Cruz — for a hastily rearranged event which was originally planned for Peru.
The participants have been split into two groups of five, with the top three in each advancing to final round-robin group stage. The format gives off Brazil 1950 vibes, but is the norm for this championship.
Players from across Europe and the MLS have been called up, but the vast majority still ply their trade on their home continent in the hope for that big-money move in the near future. Chelsea, Internazionale, Juventus and Manchester City all have representatives.
The 2025 edition is the 31st in the tournament’s history since the inaugural event in 1954, also held in Venezuela.
Two years ago, in neighbouring Colombia, Brazil secured the title with a 2-0 win over Uruguay in the final round of matches. It was Brazil’s 12th title, taking them four clear of the Uruguayans. Argentina trail in third with five.
Such is the constant squad upheaval in youth international football, being the holders carries less meaning than in a senior event, yet Brazil’s record shows exactly how seriously they take this competition.
As holders, they were one of the two seeded sides alongside the hosts. Drawn into Group B, the first match for Ramon Menezes’ young charges would be a meeting with old foe Argentina. A grudge match, but one that Brazil would start as favourites, given Argentina’s failure to get out of the group in 2023.
Friday’s match in Valencia, however, was earth-shattering for the Canarinhos of the future.
It took all of six minutes for Valentino Acuña to get to the by-line and cut the ball back to Ian Subiabre, whose finish was neat. Two minutes later, Brazil coughed up possession in their own half, allowing Man City man Claudio Echeverri to jink into the penalty area and double the lead.
Pressure from Agustín Ruberto forced Igor Serrote to turn the ball into his own net in the 11th minute, as Brazil had no answer to the Argentinians, who looked like scoring with every attack.
Brazil did, however, held their superior opponents to three until the break. Shortly after the restart, Ruberto got on the scoresheet, beating Robert at his near post in what was a howler from the goalkeeper.
There wasn’t much he could do two minutes later, beaten all ends up by a lovely curling effort from 20 yards by Echeverri to make it 5-0, before Santiago Hidalgo added the gloss 12 minutes from time with a fine header.
Echeverri, signed by City a year ago but loaned back to River Plate since, is one of two members of Argentina’s 23-man squad contracted to a Premier League club, the other being Julio Soler, two joined Bournemouth three weeks ago and is yet to play for the Cherries. Other than Mallorca academy player Álex Woiski, the rest of the squad are still based at home.
Brazil, by contrast, have five players based abroad, including Chelsea’s Deivid Washington and Gabriel Moscardo, on loan at Reims from Paris Saint-Germain. Most of the five are yet to break through properly, but clearly they are highly-rated.
What makes the result stand out further, is the contrast between the domestic leagues which the majority of these players feature in regularly. Brazilian Serie A teams have won the last six Copa Libertadores finals, four of which were all-Brazilian affairs, while the Argentinian league is dogged by off-field problems as it falls further behind its great rival.
Player for player, Argentina looked miles ahead of their counterparts in Valencia, a worrying factor for Brazil, who have watched the Albiceleste take home the trophy in their last three major tournaments at senior level.
Argentina followed the thrashing up with a 1-1 draw with Colombia, while Brazil recovered to beat Bolivia 2-1, after the Bolivians lost by the same score to Ecuador. Perhaps the 6-0 win was a freak result? Perhaps, Argentina and Colombia are miles clear of Brazil in terms of ability? The rest of the tournament will tell.
Speaking of the rest of the tournament, there were 2-1 wins for Paraguay and Chile over Peru and Venezuela, respectively, in Group A. The hosts hit back strongly in their second match, beating the Peruvians 4-0, while a 96th-minute own goal handed Uruguay a 2-1 win over Chile.
Uruguay hit their stride in their second match last night, thumping Paraguay to record the second 6-0 win of the competition, as Chile bounced back to beat Peru 3-2.
The competition concludes on 16th February, with the top four qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be played in Chile in September and October.
Anthony Tomas is a football writer and commentator, who has written for World Soccer Magazine, MUNDIAL and Flashscore.