With the U20 World Cup underway, Football FanCast reveals three young prospects worth keeping an eye on throughout the tournament, focusing on two South American strikers challenging for the golden boot, as well as Chelsea’s highly rated Italian midfielder with his own ambitions...
3 Alejo Veliz - forward (Rosario Central & Argentina)
Rosario’s 19-year-old forward Alejo Veliz comes in the U20 World Cup in great form, having scored six Primera goals in just 14 appearances. The promising talent was able to carry that into the tournament with Argentina’s first goal against Uzbekistan as the South Americans won 2-1, and followed that up with the opener in their 3-0 success over Guatemala.
His positional play in and around the six-yard box is the main reason as to why he’s started the 2023 campaign strongly, knowing naturally when and how to peel away from the last defender and his instinctive finishing will no doubt catch the eye from bigger clubs.
Veliz knows how to bully defenders and drive the ball forward down both channels when looking to help his team get further up the pitch. Back playing in his own category, Veliz will be rubbing his hands together knowing he has the strength to bully rival players as Argentina chase the 2023 title on home soil.
Although Rosario will be hoping Veliz has a successful tournament and returns to Argentina without suffering any injuries, they will know plenty of European clubs will be watching their striker in the coming weeks with great interest, and who can blame them?
2 Cesare Casadei - midfielder (Chelsea & Italy)
Chelsea’s six foot one midfielder certainly caught the eye as Italy shocked Brazil in their opening match, who scored a brace helping put his nation 3-0 up against the tournament favourites.
An assist, a headed goal from a corner as well as winning and scoring a penalty in the first half saw him steal the show in what was a highly impressive performance. Everything positive went through the Chelsea midfielder who set the tone with his composure and willingness to attack Brazil’s penalty box time and time again.
Throughout the 90 minutes, the 20-year-old continuously played clever balls through the middle of Brazil’s midfield and backline, who struggled to cope with his strength and footballing brain. He appeared to be thinking on a different level to those around him, almost as if he could see the passage of play before it had unfolded.
Chelsea haven’t made many clever transfer of late, but signing Casadei for an initial €15m (£12.6m) from Inter in 2022 on a six-year contract looks to be a very promising bit of business.
After a season on loan at Reading, and with more experience under his belt, there’s no doubt future manager Mauricio Pochettino will be watching on with great interest as he looks to restructure his Chelsea squad in the summer.
1 Marcos Leonardo - forward (Santos & Brazil)
Santos continues to work their magic with young talent coming through their academy and Marcos Leonardo is someone who firmly makes the list. Having scored over 20 goals in 2022, as well as in the Copa Sudamericana, there was little to no surprise the 20-year-old bagged a brace as Brazil fell to a 3-2 defeat against Italy.
Only two chances fell his way during the match, and they were half-chances at best. His quick reactions saw the Santos striker guide home a left-footed strike into the bottom corner in a crowded area, before a powerfully guided header was almost enough to complete a 3-0 turnaround.
However, despite the defeat, the forward was a shining light for Ramon Menezes’ side on matchday one, and if the South Americans are to bounce back, be sure Leonardo will be at the forefront of that success.
As one of the more experienced players in both the Brazilian squad and the tournament as a whole, he will prove invaluable if Brazil are able to bounce back and secure a sixth U20 World Cup title.