At the top. Morocco completed a feat in football and became the second African country, after Ghana in 2009, to win the 24th edition of the U-20 World Cup by defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final of the FIFA youth tournament played in Chile.
It is the most important title for Moroccan football, whose team played in front of 43,253 spectators at the National Stadium in Santiago in a match with great order, intelligence and was able to finish early in the first half with lethal counterattacks.
It should be noted that on the previous date, the Colombian team took Third Place in the World Cup after defeating France 1-0 with an early goal from Óscar Perea in the 2nd minute. Thus the “Cafeteros” climb to the World Cup podium for the second time in their history.
Quality in speed
The match began dizzyingly and with controversy, because after 10 minutes Yassir Zabiri won a long ball and the Argentine goalkeeper Santino Barbi ran over him when the African was preparing to shoot in that diffuse area of the line that delimits the area.
The Maghreb coach decided to request a review for a possible penalty and the game referee, the Italian Maurizio Mariani, objected that the Moroccan striker was not in possession of the ball (he had actually shot at the goal) and declared a yellow card to the Albiceleste goalkeeper and a foul on the front.
However, Zabiri himself executed it masterfully, to the right corner of the goal on Barbi’s post, and gave the advantage to Morocco, which was better planted than the “Albiceleste.”
Especially on the right wing of the African attack, where Julio Soler could never match the speed and dribbling of Othamne Maamma, one of Morocco’s best players.
A play by the Watford winger, at 28 minutes, served to double the advantage: he gained speed with a long pass, easily got rid of the Argentine captain, and his killer pass was placed in the net by an inspired Zabiri.
It was the first time in the entire tournament that Argentina was behind on the scoreboard, the first time that they scored two goals and the nerves began to surface.
With the selection blurred, coach Diego Placente did not help either: after 30 minutes he decided to remove Acuña and bring on Mateo Silvetti in search of his speed and love of scoring, without seeing where the problem was.
The MLS Inter Miami forward had an option in the 44th minute that he couldn’t define, but the one who was able to decide the game in favor of Marreucos a minute later was Maamma, who easily beat Soler again, but her weak shot was taken out by the defense when it was already in.
The second half started with the same dynamic: Argentina rushed in desperate search of a goal, and Morocco organized behind, and with a lot of danger in the counterattack.
The minutes were consumed with Argentina always hasty, nervous, very individualistic and very tough, committing dozens of fouls, and Morocco without cracks in defense, in a rigorous exercise that maintained the entire championship and that has allowed it to win a world title for the first time in its history, and become the second African team to win a U-20 World Cup.
This is how they aligned
– Argentina (0): Santino Barbi; Dylan Gorosito (Rodiguez Pagana, min. 80), Tomás Pérez (Santiago Fernández, min 46), Juan Villalba (Tobias Andrada, min 46), Tobías Ramírez; Julio Soler; Milton Delgado, Valentino Acuña (Mateo Silvetti, min 29), Maher Carrizo, Gianluca Prestianni; and Alejo Sarco (Ian Subiabre, min 60).
– Selector: Diego Placente.
– Morocco (2): Ibrahim Gomis Ali Maamar, Ismael Baouf, Fouad Zahouani, Ismail Bakhty, Naim Byar, Houssam Essadak, Yassine Khalifi (Saad el Haddad, min. 62); Othmane Maamma (Ilias Boumassouf min. 73), Gessime Yassine (Mohamad Majni min. 85); Yassir Zabiri (Yassine El Baharaoui min 85).
– Selector: Mohamed Ouahbi.
– Goals: Zabiri (12 and 28 minutes).
– Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy). He admonished Barbi, Prestianni, Subiabre, Carrizo and Delgado, for Argentina, and Maama and Essadak, for Morocco.
(With a report from Lázaro García, from EFE)
🇲🇦Champions, Champions Oe Oe Oe 🌎🏆 #U20WC#DimaMaghrib 💪🏼🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/qrksRqnJYK
— Morocco national football team (@Sn_Marruecos) October 20, 2025
