While a 48-team tournament doesn't work very well in terms of the format, I generally agree that this is one WC that should be expanded to give more youngsters a chance to gain experience at a high level, and be exposed to a global audience. 'Under 20' is also a bit too old be an age category since it overlaps with the senior NTs. So I also agree with having just one age category for the youth WC (either u-18 or u-19). Probably too late to implement this for the next youth WCs, so I guess 2021 would be the target start year if this idea flies.
An joint youth tournament would make U17 players lose out... They would lose out to U20 players... For all intent and purposes U17 was a unique tournament and scraping it would really be a shame,
I see both losses and gains in the proposal. 15 & 16 year olds might lose out initially, but then they'd participate in the next WC 2 years later when they are 17 or 18 (If there is only one FIFA youth WC it would have to be u-18 or u-19 (not U20)). Keep in mind under the current system, u-17 players could still lose out from their country not qualifying in the first place. Much better chance of qualifying in this proposal - you can have about 10 spots per confederation, slightly less for CONMEBOL and 2 for OFC.
Under 20 tournaments get minimal attendance, and Fifa wants to have a 48-team tournament? They are insane!
Lets not get ahead of ourselves. As the title of this thread says this is just a proposal. I don't even think its on the agenda of the FIFA meeting next week. In fact, they're announcing the hosts of the next u-17 and u-20 World Cups at that meeting.
Just announced they are sticking with the current format, at least for now: Peru to host u-17 WC in 2019. Poland to host u-20 WC in 2019.
Are you counting players that turned 20 in the first half of 2014 to arrive at that 3%? Anyway, I guess its a small percentage but they tend to be the best 3-5% of players so it feels like more. Also the older that the youth age group is for the WC the more likely that the player won't be released by their club to play in the tournament.
What is it with FIFA and supporting fascist European states? Russian World Cup 2018. Polish U20 World Cup 2019...
Please, no need to get political. Don't compare these two countries. I dislike our current government deeply, but it's an exaggeration. Poland was awarded u20 WC as a commemoration of 100 years of Polish FA (est. 1919). Current political situation will pass, I hope - we will forget about this dark times in Polish politics, but will always remember organizing U20 WC.
You need to get political. You had Olympics like the ones in 1936 in Nazi Germany and in 1982 in Communist USSR... Neither were a good idea. As for FIFA? First a dictatorship at war with Ukraine in Russia, then a human-rights cesspool that is Qatar, now when Poland is the dark sheep of European politics they are being patted on the back and awarded football tournaments. And yes - Poland is nowhere as bad as Russia, but its still a quasi-fascist state with no functioning independent court system that is at war with human and environmental rights on multiple levels. Awarding them such a tournament at this point in time is like patting them on the back and saying: "Don't worry. We don't care." Human rights MUST be a part of the equation in international sports. At the very least it must be a motivation to move in the right direction. India is by no means ideal, as Modi is just as right wing and fascist, so you could have an argument there... But at least he isn't dismantling India's democracy.