Ever since the first ever FIFA U-17 World Cup was held in China, there have been a total of 16 editions of the youth tournament. Held every two years, the tournament gives scouts a good platform to identify the next big talent in world football.
India is all set to host the 2017 U-17 World Cup in the month of October with 24 teams set to take part. Whether the next big star is born this year remains to be seen but a number of such players who won the Most Valuable Player award in these tournaments never made it big. We take a look at five Golden Ball winners who made it big.
5) Anderson (Brazil) – 2005
When Brazil played Mexico in the final of the 2005 edition, Anderson lasted only 15 minutes before he was stretchered off. It was a huge blow to the South American side as it was his heroics in the games against Netherlands, North Korea and Turkey that had brought Brazil to the final. Mexico went on to win 3-0 but Anderson did not go home empty-handed as he received the Golden Ball award for his performances.
By the time he made his senior debut for Brazil, Anderson had moved from Porto to Manchester United for a fee of £20m. The midfielder would spend eight seasons at Old Trafford and, under Sir Alex Ferguson, he would play a pivotal role in many games in the first few seasons at the club.
But the latter stages of his career in the Premier League were blighted by injuries, fitness concerns and falling out with managers following Ferguson’s exit. David Moyes did not want him and he was even sent on loan to Fiorentina prior to Juan Mata’s arrival.
Anderson won four Premier League titles and a Champions League with the Red Devils before Louis van Gaal no longer saw any use for him. He would eventually move on and join Brazilian club Internacional on a free transfer.
4) Landon Donovan (USA) – 1999
A product of the first US Soccer residency program, Landon Donovan is arguably the greatest football player to come from the United States of America. Donovan won the Golden Ball in 1999 when USA finished fourth in the U-17 World Cup.
Donovan played for the U-17 side for two years, scoring 35 goals in 41 games. He would make it to the senior team and also win the Best Young Player Award in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
His performances saw Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen sign the forward but he still spent a number of seasons on loan at San Jose Earthquakes. It wasn’t until 2005 when he made the big move to Los Angeles Galaxy where he spent the next nine years in the MLS.
Donovan would make more than 150 appearances for the United States, scoring 57 goals in a 14-year international career. He is the country’s highest goalscorer and also holds the MLS record for most goals (145) and assists (136). The Major League Soccer MVP Award is also named in his honour and is now known as the Landon Donovan MVP Award.
3) Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria) – 2013
From a very young age, Kelechi Iheanacho showed a lot of Promise – and we’re not just talking about his middle name. The striker has played for a number of Nigerian youth teams, the first of which was the U-13 squad. It wasn’t until he made the U-17 squad that he made a name for himself.
His first major outing was the African U-17 championship – a tournament he played in just soon after he lost his mother and he dedicated a hat-trick scored against Botswana to her. Although Nigeria lost in the final to Ivory Coast, they would go on to win the U-17 World Cup in the UAE where they beat Mexico in the final.
Iheanacho was awarded the Golden Ball for his stunning return of six goals and seven assists. He was also awarded the Most Promising Talent of the Year award by the African football federation. Although he failed to make the Olympic team, he would eventually get his call-up to the senior team.
Manchester City soon came calling and Iheanacho signed a pre-contract that saw him join the club when he turned 18. He was straight away thrown into the gauntlet when he was selected in the senior team’s matchday squads and soon became an impact substitute. Having just turned 20, he already has 20 goals for the club and has a long and promising career ahead of him.
2) Toni Kroos (Germany) – 2007
Germany have never won the U-17 World Cup but they have come close on a couple of occasions. In 2007, when Germany finished third behind champions Nigeria and Spain, a young midfielder named Toni Kroos took home the Bronze Shoe for his five goals (tied with Bojan Krkic) and also the Golden Ball.
Kroos has since played for the U-19, U-21 and the senior team, winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It was at Bayern Munich where he developed into one of the finest central midfielders with a devastating first touch. With the versatility to play across midfield either as a deep-lying playmaker or a box-to-box midfielder and an incredible set-piece ability.
After winning everything he could with Bayern, Kroos made the move to Real Madrid where he won the Champions League for a second time last season. With a vision that saw praise from the likes of Johan Cruyff, Kroos is a wanted man across Europe and it is no wonder then why Real Madrid’s move for the German was called one of the biggest coups in recent years.
1) Cesc Fabregas (Spain) – 2003
Cesc Fabregas was so good as a youngster that coaches from Barcelona’s La Masia refused to play him when they knew scouts were watching. Of course, they could do nothing to stop him when he played for Spain’s youth teams and the 2003 U-17 World Cup in Finland saw Fabregas come away with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe as he finished top scorer with five goals.
He became only the second player to win both awards and could have made it a hat-trick of trophies had Spain won the final but they had gone down 1-0 to Brazil courtesy of a goal from Leo Moura.
Less than a month later, he took the massive step of leaving Barcelona in search of more football and Arsenal offered him what clubs in Spain couldn’t at his age – a senior contract. under Arsene Wenger’s tutelage, Fabregas would become the fulcrum of the Gunners and became one of the finest creators in not only the Premier League but Europe as a whole.
Barcelona would soon come calling to bring him back home but his love affair with his hometown club lasted only three seasons before he was discarded. Preferring to move back to England, Chelsea signed him up and he helped the Blues win a Premier League – his first league title in England.
