USA to face Senegal, Japan, Netherlands in FIFA U-17 World Cup
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team will face Senegal, Japan and the Netherlands in Group D at the upcoming 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, set to take place from Oct. 26-Nov. 17 in Brazil. The final draw for the competition took place Thursday at FIFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
The USA opens the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Sunday, Oct. 27 against Senegal, faces Japan on Wednesday, Oct. 30 and finishes the group stage vs. the Netherlands on Saturday, Nov. 2. The U.S. will play its first two group stage games at Estadio Kleber Andrade in Cariacica and its third group game at Estadio da Serrinha in Goiânia.
2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup Group D – USA Schedule
| Date | Match-up | Venue |
| Oct. 27 | USA vs. Senegal | Estadio Kleber Andrade; Cariacia, Brazil |
| Oct. 30 | USA vs. Japan | Estadio Kleber Andrade; Cariacia, Brazil |
| Nov. 2 | USA vs. Netherlands | Estadio da Serrinha; Goiânia, Brazil |
The USA will compete in a record 17th FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil, tied with the host for the most appearances in the competition of any nation.
The 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup features 16 countries divided into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group, as well as the four best third-place teams advance to the Round of 16 from Tuesday, Nov. 5 to Thursday, Nov. 7. The quarterfinals will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10 and Monday, Nov. 11. The winners of those games will advance to the tournament semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 14. The championship match is set for Sunday, Nov. 17 at Estadio Bezerrão in Gama.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F |
| Brazil | Nigeria | Korea Republic | USA | Spain | Solomon Islands |
| Canada | Hungary | Haiti | Senegal | Argentina | Italy |
| New Zealand | Ecuador | France | Japan | Tajikistan | Paraguay |
| Angola | Australia | Chile | Netherlands | Cameroon | Mexcio |
Should the USA advance to the Round of 16, it could face a team from any of Groups A, B, E or F.
The U.S. was drawn out of Pot 2 alongside Argentina, New Zealand, Paraguay, Ecuador and Korea Republic. Teams were sorted into pots based on a ranking determined by success in the last five FIFA U-17 World Cups, with more recent tournament results weighted more heavily, as well as performance in confederation qualifying tournaments.
The tournament will be the 18th overall world championship for this age group. The first three were held as the FIFA U-16 World Championship before the competition was moved to the U-17 level for the 1991 event and the tournament assumed its current name in 2007. The USA’s best finish came at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship in New Zealand, where the team took fourth. At the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, the USA finished third in Group A as it reached the quarterfinals, falling to eventual champion England. In the Round of 16, forward Tim Weah became the first U.S. Men’s player to score a hat trick in the knockout round of a World Cup. Weah, alongside forward Josh Sargent, who captained the team in India, made their debuts with the senior MNT in the months following the tournament.
The USA qualified for the 2019 U-17 World Cup with a strong showing at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship in Bradenton, Fla. The U.S. rattled off six straight wins against confederation competition before dropping the final to Mexico in heartbreaking fashion during extra time. The team’s 3-0 victory over Panama in the quarterfinals punched its World Cup ticket.
Senegal qualified for the U-17 World Cup in place of one of the top four teams at the 2019 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Tanzania that was later disqualified. It’s the Young Lions’ first appearance at the tournament. Japan earned its place in Brazil as champions of the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship in Malaysia. The U.S. has dropped both previous meetings with the Samurai Blue at this competition, in the 1995 and 2001 group stages. Netherlands secured its World Cup berth as champions of the 2019 UEFA European U-17 Championship in Ireland. The USA has faced the Dutch once at the U-17 World Cup, falling in the 2005 quarterfinals.
