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Fifteen Zimbabwe players will be on central contracts for the 2014-15 season. In addition, Zimbabwe Cricket has awarded six players winter contracts that will cover the July-August 2014 period

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2014Fifteen Zimbabwe players will be on central contracts for the 2014-15 season. In addition, Zimbabwe Cricket has awarded six players winter contracts that will cover the July-August 2014 period.Last year, Craig Ervine – who had been Zimbabwe’s highest run-scorer across formats in their previous series – opted out of playing the series against Bangladesh after refusing to sign a short-term winter contract. Ervine has not played for Zimbabwe since.In the release announcing the contract lists, ZC also said the four franchises – Mashonaland Eagles, Matabeleland Tuskers, MidWest Rhinos and Mountaineers – would offer 10 franchise contracts each.Central contracts: Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva , Tendai Chatara , Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Natsai M’shangwe, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams.Winter contracts: Donald Tiripano, John Nyumbu, Mark Vermeulen, Timycen Maruma, Richmond Mutumbami, Michael Chinouya.

Enterprising innings by Phillip Hughes and Michael Clarke ensured a vast lead for the Australians over Worcestershire at New Road

Daniel Brettig at New Road04-Jul-2013Worcestershire 284 (Compton 79, Mitchell 65, Bird 4-48) and 64 for 1 need 393 to beat Australians 396 for 4 dec and 341 for 5 dec (Clarke 124, Hughes 86)
ScorecardMichael Clarke made an impact on Australia’s Ashes tour with a quick hundred ahead of the first Test•Getty ImagesFor most of his first five weeks in England, Michael Clarke has been defined less by what he was than what he wasn’t.To begin with, Clarke wasn’t fit. He wasn’t in Birmingham for the Walkabout fiasco, then he wasn’t taking part in any of the Champions Trophy. When Mickey Arthur was sacked, Clarke wasn’t a decision-maker nor, it emerged, anymore a member of the selection panel. Throughout Darren Lehmann’s assured first 10 days as coach, Clarke wasn’t even the primary spokesman for the team.On the third day in Worcester, in his final innings before the first Test at Trent Bridge, Clarke was back. Taking advantage of a docile pitch and an amiable attack, he bounded to a century in 90 balls, confirming the return of batting touch and confidence at precisely the right moment before the serious stuff begins.Most importantly of all, Clarke played without any hint of the back trouble that had flared on his arrival, and can now travel to Nottingham with confidence about his ability to play the sorts of innings Australia so desperately need from him.Phillip Hughes was similarly arresting as he helped Clarke set Worcestershire a target of 457 to win, which by the close they had reduced to 393 for the loss of Nick Compton’s wicket. The day after asserting that he had not been given “fair crack of the whip” by England’s selectors, Compton was lured down the pitch by the young spinner Ashton Agar and neatly stumped by Brad Haddin. Agar’s teasing spell in the final session was another sign of promise for the tourists, who have rather less to worry about now than a week ago.That is not to say they are in completely fine fettle. Ed Cowan fell for another of his maddeningly mediocre scores, having been dropped without scoring, though he was unhappy to be given out lbw for 34. In four innings on tour so far his top score is 58, not substantial enough tallies should he occupy the No. 3 berth at Trent Bridge as now appears likely.Ryan Harris and Jackson Bird also failed to harvest any wickets with the new ball. They did better in the morning when Worcestershire were rolled up for 284. Bird claimed the standout innings figures with 4 for 48, while Harris showed decent rhythm and speed.Harris was left very much in Bird’s wake on the second day, but regathered some ground on the third morning. Gareth Andrew snicked behind to Haddin before Jack Shantry was beaten for pace and angle from round the wicket to have his stumps splayed.Bird beat the bat numerous times in his early spell but was relieved by James Faulkner, who bowled the last man Chris Russell. It was Cowan who joined Rogers in sprinting off to open the batting, Watson again being held back in the order following his first innings performance just as he had been against Somerset at Taunton.Cowan was handed an instant reprieve, dropped in the slips by Moeen Ali before he had scored. Rogers was also helped by a few fortunate edges before more full-blooded strokes ensued. The Australians appeared likely to reach lunch without interruption, but a few minutes before the interval Rogers was pinned lbw by Ali’s off break from around the wicket.The order then maintained its elastic and preparatory nature, Hughes moving from No. 6 up to 3 and making a fluent start in sunshine that grew brighter by the minute. Cowan played soundly enough into the 30s, before trying to swish Shantry to leg and being given lbw. He looked pointedly at his bat on the way off the ground, but after the dropped catch on nought there was less reason for sympathy.Entering at No. 4 for the fourth innings in succession, Clarke promptly set about Worcestershire’s bowling with freedom of shots as well as movement, his back appearing to be less restrictive than at any stage of the tour so far. He encouraged a more aggressive posture from Hughes, and the pair entertained another plentiful crowd by cavaliering to a stand of 132 in 123 balls.Hughes forged ahead of his captain, clattering three sixes with a backswing that gained noticeably in extravagance. He was on course for a century in the session when he miscalculated a Russell delivery and was bowled, but had shown pleasing freedom and confidence in his final innings before the first Test.Clarke took over the main aggressor’s role upon Hughes’ exit, driving immaculately at some times and swinging more agriculturally at others. Either way, his eye was sharp, and there can now be little concern that he will walk out to bat in Nottingham without sufficient time in the middle.He delayed his declaration for an hour after tea, partly to allow Steve Smith another hit and partly to ensure his own bowlers did not have too many overs required of them in the fourth innings.With the pitch dry and the clouds sparse, Bird and Harris found little early movement on offer, and it took Agar to confound Compton with the kind of delectable delivery that has hastened his rise to the fringes of Australia’s Test match thinking at the age of 19. A few more wickets on the final afternoon and Agar may be bidding to join Clarke at Trent Bridge.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has defended his decision to send a letter to the press, with comments on SLC, but said that the fallout from the incident was not a distraction for his side ahead of the Boxing Day Test

Andrew Fernando in Melbourne25-Dec-2012Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has defended his decision to send a letter to the press — with perceived questionable comments on Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) — but said that the fallout from the incident was not a distraction for his side ahead of the Boxing Day Test. SLC, in an official release, stated it will review the actions of Jayawardene and team manager Charith Senanayake, during the lead up to the Test in Melbourne.Jayawardene’s letter to the press, in which he said he had lost all confidence in dealing with SLC, had been prompted by a local newspaper’s reporting on a previous letter he had written to the board. He had believed the letter to be confidential, and the contents of which, if released, could potentially embarrass the support staff working with the Sri Lankan team. In his subsequent release to the press, Jayawardene expressed his disappointment with the board for having allowed his letter to be made public, which, in turn, was believed to be a breach of his contract for portraying the board in a negative light.”It’s not really a distraction,” Jayawardene said on the eve of the Test. “It’s not the first time something like this has happened and I’ve just taken it on board. I honestly don’t know what I’ve done in this scenario. The document was released by them, and I just asked the question, “How did that happen?” I think hopefully we can get that resolved pretty soon once they realise I haven’t done anything wrong. Right now my focus is on this tour and to try and give my best for the team. I don’t think most of the guys even know what’s going on.”Sri Lanka are waiting on the fitness of Nuwan Kulasekara, who has been struggling with a bruised rib, with Dhammika Prasad on standby to step into the pace attack. Kulasekara was hit by a delivery that leapt up off a crack on the fifth day in Hobart, and has not yet shaken off the soreness from the blow. He has been bowling in the nets, but will have his fitness determined on the morning of the Test.Opener Dimuth Karunaratne, meanwhile, is set for an extended run at the top of the order, despite having had an inauspicious start to the series in Hobart, scoring 14 and 30. Sri Lanka have a more experienced opener in Tharanga Paranavitana in the squad, but Jayawardene said the management had identified Karunaratne as a promising future prospect, and hope to give him opportunities free of the pressure of having to hold a place in the team. Karunaratne has played two Tests, and made a run-a-ball sixty against New Zealand last month. He was brought into the Test team after having had success in an A team tour to South Africa.”When we made the call on Dimuth, we wanted to make it a long-term decision. Whatever happens, he will at least get a good year in that slot. I think he’s shown a lot of promise as a Test opener. I think everyone’s very pleased with the way he’s been batting. It was unfortunate he got some good deliveries in the last Test. The way he bats gives us more opportunities. If he gets going, he’s a very aggressive batsman and he’ll score quickly for us. That will win Test matches, not just here, but in Sri Lankan conditions as well. That’s something we are looking for him to do. He’ll definitely get a longer run in the team.”Jayawardene also said a strong performance from the experienced top order would be Sri Lanka’s best chance of securing a maiden victory in Australia. Sri Lanka slipped to 87 for 4 in their first innings in Hobart in one of the defining periods of the Test, which enabled Australia to secure a first innings lead of 114. Sri Lanka’s top order had also failed to fire collectively in the two Tests preceding the tour, in a home series against New Zealand.”A good performance from the top order will give us an opportunity to put pressure on the Australians, and our best chance of winning a Test match here would be our batters putting runs on the board. The top order has been our strength over the last couple of years when four or five guys have been getting the job done. Yes, we’ve had a couple of hiccups in the last few Test matches – in the last series against New Zealand and the one in Hobart. That can happen. You can’t be consistent for that period of time. We’ve got the experience, and we’ve got the talent. We just need to produce the goods.”Jayawardene was also confident his team would not be affected by any crowd hostility stemming from the ball tampering controversy in Hobart. Sri Lanka’s management had alerted the match referee to footage they believed might have shown Peter Siddle picking the seam of the ball during their first innings, but had stopped short of making an official complaint. Siddle, a Victorian, was cleared of any wrongdoing by the ICC after the conclusion of the match.”I think we’ve been through a lot of hostile things in the past. 1995 was one thing, and even after that. I don’t think it will faze our guys at all. If anything that might give us a little extra. What you have to remember is that there will be a good, partisan Sri Lankan crowd in Melbourne as well, so it might go against them (Australia) as well. A lot of the younger guys probably won’t even understand what the crowd is going to tell them. It’s not going to be a big issue.”

Azhar Mahmood has been appointed Pakistan’s bowling coach for the Asia Cup and World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-20161:05

Mushtaq out, Mahmood in as interim bowling coach

Azhar Mahmood has been appointed Pakistan’s bowling coach for the Asia Cup and World T20, and is expected to join the squad in Dhaka on Thursday evening. The former Pakistan allrounder is replacing regular bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed for these two tournaments; according to the PCB, Mushtaq is rested and is expected to resume his duties ahead of the England tour in June this year.”Mushi has been rested for two events as he was too fatigued,” Pakistan’s team manager told ESPNcricinfo. “Mahmood is a good replacement for the interim, being a T20 specialist. He will join the squad later this evening.”Mushtaq, 45, the former Pakistan legspinner, has been a part of the Pakistan coaching staff and team management since 2014. He last played for Pakistan in 2003. After ending his playing career, he transformed into a successful coach. He worked with England as a spin-bowling consultant, and when he was released in 2014 he started working with Pakistan, working with and mentoring Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah among others.Mahmood, 40, has been active at domestic level since his last international game in 2007. A vastly experienced allrounder, he has played 225 T20s, representing teams from Pakistan, England, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand and the West Indies. Although he has not been involved in any international coaching till date, he has featured in the minor-coaching roles in private clubs in the UAE and England.

A preview of the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad

The Preview by Rachna Shetty18-May-2013Match factsSunday, May 19, 2013
Start time 2000 (1630 GMT)Can Shikhar Dhawan and the other Sunrisers’ batsmen put up enough runs?•BCCIBig PictureAt the start of the IPL season, few would have tipped Sunrisers Hyderabad to be one of the four teams that qualify for the playoffs. Now, however, their prospects in their first season have boiled down to one simple task in the very last league game, against Kolkata Knight Riders: a win. Royal Challengers Bangalore, who beat Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, have drawn level with Sunrisers on 18 points, making this a must win-match for Sunrisers.Sunrisers stand out when compared to the other teams that have already entered the playoffs or are competing to get there. Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and even Royal Challengers Bangalore have strong batting units while Rajasthan Royals are a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. Sunrisers, however, find themselves on the brink of qualification simply on the strength of their bowling. That strength was on display again when they defended 136 against Rajasthan Royals; Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra and Thisara Perera kept a vice-like grip on the run-rate. More importantly, for most of the season when the bowlers have not been defending small totals, they’ve restricted the opposition to scores that their batting has managed to chase down.For Knight Riders, this game is about redeeming as much of their poor season as they can, while doing Royal Challengers a favour. And, as Royal Challengers captain Virat Kohli cheekily put it at the post-match presentation, he’d be happy to give Gautam Gambhir a call to request him to win the match.Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad WLWLW (most recent first)
Kolkata Knight RidersLWWLWIn the spotlightThe Sunrisers’ top order hasn’t always given the team good starts. Among teams playing in this IPL, the Sunrisers top order (No. 1-3) has scored the minimum runs – 833 from 15 matches, so far. It’s a statistic that will worry them, given the level of competition in the playoffs.Stats and trivia Dale Steyn has bowled 793 dot balls in IPL so far, second only after Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan. Ishant Sharma is fourth on the list of bowlers to have conceded the most runs in this season, with 435 runs from 15 matches. Thisara Perera is close behind at 431 runs from 14 matches Sunil Narine needs four wickets to reach 50 IPL wickets. He also leads the list of bowlers to have taken four wickets or more in an innings the most number of times, having done so four times in the IPL. Quotes”They are a proud team. They’ve got a point to prove and they want to finish the season on a high. We have to prepare well. We have to execute in the three disciplines to make sure we finish with a win.”

Matt Coles starred with bat and ball as Hampshire returned to the top of Division Two by skittling Leicestershire for just 96 on the final day at Grace Road to complete a comprehensive 278-run win.

Press Association and ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2014
ScorecardKyle Abbott started the Leicestershire collapse on day four•PA PhotosMatt Coles starred with bat and ball as Hampshire returned to the top of Division Two by skittling Leicestershire for just 96 on the final day at Grace Road to complete a comprehensive 278-run win.Coles, who joined Hampshire initially on loan in the second half of last season, plundered 30 more runs in quick time the final morning, then claimed 3 for 24 with the ball as the Foxes slipped to a first defeat of the season with the kind of batting collapse that blighted their 2013.Hampshire had briefly been replaced at the top of the table when Worcestershire completed a three-day victory over Essex on Tuesday, but leapfrogged their promotion rivals after claiming 22 points from this match.Leading by 342 overnight, Hampshire elected to bat on first thing on Wednesday morning, Coles striking some lusty blows to extend his tally to 83 – his highest first-class score since 2012 – and the lead to 374 before being stumped by Niall O’Brien off the bowling of Jigar Naik.That prompted visiting captain Jimmy Adams to declare, setting the Foxes 375 for victory from a minimum of 91 overs but more realistically the task of batting out the day for a draw. But they could manage only 31.4 overs as Danny Briggs took four wickets in his first Championship appearance of the season.Leicestershire took 21 from the first two overs but were quickly in trouble as Kyle Abbott struck twice in as many balls at the start of his second over. Angus Robson edged behind for a duck to a delivery that rose sharply, then South African Abbott trapped Ned Eckersley leg before first ball.Leicestershire captain Ramnaresh Sarwan made 15 before being deceived by James Tomlinson’s change of angle – the left-armer coming around the wicket and pinning Sarwan lbw.Briggs extracted sharp turn from the slowing fourth-day wicket – one ball spinning past first slip for byes – before Josh Cobb missed one coming forward to fall lbw for four.Coles then wrecked any remaining ambition the home side might have harboured by taking two wickets in the last over before lunch. First O’Brien fell to a brilliant return catch by the bowler, then Rob Taylor became the fourth player to be out for a duck in the innings when his thin edge down the leg side was taken by tumbling wicketkeeper Michael Bates.The procession of wickets continued after the break; Coles snaring opener Smith lbw for 39 and Briggs having Naik caught at second slip by James Vince.England left-arm spinner Briggs then bowled Anthony Ireland and Nathan Buck to wrap up proceedings and finish with figures of 4 for 13, leaving Leicestershire winless in the Championship since September 2012.

Fast bowler Kyle Abbott has been added to South Africa’s squad for the Durban Test against India, which begins on Boxing Day

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2013Fast bowler Kyle Abbott has been added to South Africa’s squad for the Durban Test against India, which begins on Boxing Day. Abbott has been called in as cover for Morne Morkel, who badly sprained his ankle during the first Test and so is a doubt for the second.Abbott has been in form in domestic first-class cricket, claiming a five-for in Dolphins’ win against Lions. He had had a terrific start to his Test career as well: in his debut Test in February 2013, against Pakistan in Centurion, he took a match haul of nine including 7 for 29 in the first innings. But he hasn’t played since for South Africa, with Rory Kleinveldt – the other back-up fast bowler in the squad – being preferred. In Durban, he is likely to get the nod ahead of Kleinveldt if Morkel doesn’t make it.Morkel not making it is a big possibility, given the South Africa physio says there’s only 20% chance he will be fit in time. Smith said as much after Johannesburg Test: “The diagnosis Brendon Jackson, the physio, has given is that he is 20% ready for Durban, which Morne believes is 80%. At the best of times, he struggles to control those legs. We missed him in our second innings. Let us hold thumbs, but I don’t think the prognosis is great.”Morkel had turned his ankle while fielding on the third day at the Wanderers, and had to be helped off the field. He was taken to the hospital immediately, and it was confirmed that it was a Grade 1 sprain. On Sunday, he spent time in a decompression chamber in hospital to bring down the swelling in the ankle. As the match drew to a close, he was ready to bat if needed and was seen padded up in the change-room. However, his mobility is minimal at the moment Smith said, and his ability to run between the wickets if he had come out to bat would have been almost non-existant.

A wrap of the Dhaka Premier Division List A matches played on September 20, 2013

Mohammad Isam20-Sep-2013Nazmus Sadat’s unbeaten 82 helped Brothers Union to a six-wicket win over Victoria Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier League. The left-hander was involved in an unbroken 148-run stand with Angelo Mathews for the fifth wicket, making the most of a short leg-side boundary on the western side of the Shere Bangla National Stadium.The partnership had come at the right time as well for Brothers Union, who had slipped to 66 for 4 chasing a tricky 214 in the first match at the Mirpur venue for almost seven months. The wicket had earlier bothered Victoria’s batsmen as well, but Sadat and Mathews hardly rushed into their shots, tapping and prodding for most of the 27 overs of their partnership. They only lifted the scoring rate when Victoria captain Nasir Hossain pulled in the field.All four of Mathews’ boundaries were sixes, while Sadat struck two in addition to ten fours. Mathews remained not out on a patient 56, as Brothers picked up their second win in the competition. Victoria have won and lost one each, after their first match against Kalabagan Cricket Academy was rained out.Gazi Tank prevailed in a close encounter against Kalabagan Krira Chakra, winning by eight runs in Fatullah.Set 245 to win, Kalabagan were on course for a final dart in the last three overs when they suffered a collapse triggered by the wicket of Chamara Kapugedera, who fell in the 47th over. The Sri Lankan batsman made 60 off 53 balls, but the moment he was caught behind by Hamidul Islam off Rubel Hossain, Gazi Tank found the breathing space to take the last four wickets.Jehan Mubarak top scored for Kalabagan with 65, but neither he nor Kapugedera could prevent a second defeat for the club. Earlier Usman Tariq and the captain Mahmudullah added 50 runs each, as Gazi Tank made 244 for 8 in 50 overs. Kalabagan captain Naeem Islam took three wickets.In the other match of the day Cricket Coaching School continued their miserable start to their campaign, as Prime Bank crushed them by 152 runs in Savar.Brendan Taylor marked his DPL debut with a quickfire 86 off 78 balls for Prime Bank after they decided to bat. The innings included seven fours and four sixes, as he added 44 with Bhanuka Rajapakse, and another 49 with Jeevan Mendis, taking Prime Bank to 249 for 8 in their 50 overs.For CCS, Bishwanath Halder took three wickets while Sujeet Parbatani and Imamul Mustakim picked up two each.Their chase began well enough as Uttam Sarkar and Amit Mazumder made their way to 34 by the eleventh over. But once a free-flowing Uttam fell, CCS collapsed. With the exception of Asif Ahmed, none of the other batsmen could manage more than 9, and they were eventually bowled out in 36.3 overs for 97 – their second two-digit total in three matches.Legspinner Jeevan Mendis took four wickets while Enamul Haque jnr and Mahmudul Hasan picked up two scalps each to complete the rout.

Liverpool have been linked with an astonishing swoop to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain after Real Madrid withdrew from the race.

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Reds linked with deal to sign MbappeReal reported to have pulled out Would be a hugely expensive dealWHAT HAPPENED?

Real have reportedly made the decision not to pursue Mbappe in the summer, when he will be available on a free transfer. They have pursued the France international for multiple windows, but believe that his contractual demands and the deal he is currently on make him unattainable.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A new report from AS, via Sport Witness, claims that Mbappe wants as much as €35 million (£30.5m/$38m) per year after tax, which equates to a weekly wage of £586,000 ($728,000). He would also require around €100m (£87m/$108m) as a signing-on fee. Liverpool were linked with a move as recently as last summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mbappe has been a Real Madrid fan since childhood and one famous image of the striker as a boy shows him surrounded by posters of Cristiano Ronaldo in his bedroom. However, while it seemed certain that he would end up in Spain eventually, a move to England is also now on the cards.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

Mbappe is likely to be involved as France face Gibraltar and Greece in the international break. He will next play for PSG on November 24, against Monaco.

The 2023 youth tournament gets under way on Saturday, May 20, and it is a competition where some of the game's greats have made their mark

Before many of the game's legends became, well, legends, they were first hopefuls, prospects, starlets. And before many of them went on to lift some of the sport's most iconic trophies, they first lifted the Under-20 World Cup on their journey towards immortality.

Launched in 1977, the U20 World Cup, or the FIFA World Youth Championship as it was called until 2005, has served as a proving ground for several of the game's icons. Between them, Brazil and Argentina have lifted the trophy 11 times, and many of the players that defined generations for those two South American nations emerged in this tournament.

From Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi, Argentina have produced some of the world's best, while Brazilian stars Fernandinho and Oscar both scored some of the most memorable goals this tournament has to offer. But it's not just South American stars that have dominated this competition, though, as a certain Norwegian terminator first went mainstream with one of the most dominant performances this sport has seen at any level.

GOAL looks back at some of the biggest names and most memorable performances in U20 World Cup history:

Getty Images1979 – Diego Maradona

The 1979 tournament was the second iteration of the U20 World Cup, and it notably featured a breakout performance from one of the game's great icons. Before he became an Argentinian God, Diego Armando Maradona was a teenager at the then-FIFA World Youth Championship. His six goals, alongside eight from Ramon Diaz, led Argentina to the title, with both scoring in a 3-1 win over the Soviet Union in the final.

While Diaz claimed the Golden Boot, Maradona claimed the Golden Ball, setting the stage for one of football's most unforgettable careers.

AdvertisementGetty1987 – Davor Suker

Before becoming one of Croatia's best-ever players, Suker starred for Yugoslavia as they lifted the trophy in 1987. It took extra-time and a penalty shootout to take down West Germany, with the two sides each scoring goals after the 85th minute. In the end, though, Yugoslavia emerged victorious, with Suker finishing as the Golden Boot runner-up with six goals.

It wasn't enough for him to make the Golden Ball podium, though, with Yugoslavia's Robert Prosinecky winning the award over team-mate Zvonimir Boban, who finished second.

Getty Images1991 – Luis Figo and Rui Costa

After winning the tournament in 1989, Portugal somehow brought an even more star-studded squad to the 1991 tournament on home soil. Future legends Figo and Rui Costa headlined the squad, which ended up in the final against Brazil in front of over 125,000 fans at Estadio da Luz.

The match finished goalless, but both future midfield icons scored from the spot in the shootout win.

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clarin1997 – Lionel Scaloni

The 1997 Argentina team laid the foundation for a generation. Scaloni, who ultimately achieved World Cup glory as the country's manager in 2022, was one of several familiar faces in the squad that lifted the U20 World Cup in 1997.

Esteban Cambiasso, Pablo Aimar, Juan Roman Riquelme and Walter Samuel were all in the team that beat Uruguay 2-1 in the final. Each of those named ended up becoming superstars, while continuing to build their country's legacy at this tournament.