Morocco won its first FIFA U-20 World Cup title with a 2-0 victory over Argentina in the final held in Santiago, Chile. Yassir Zabiri scored both goals in the first half, in the 12th and 29th minutes. The win marks Morocco as the second African nation to claim the trophy since Ghana in 2009.
Final Match Overview
The 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup final took place on Sunday at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago, Chile, drawing over 48,000 spectators. Morocco, coached by Mohamed Ouahbi, secured a historic 2-0 win over six-time champions Argentina. Yassir Zabiri, named man of the match, opened the scoring in the 12th minute and doubled the lead in the 29th, helping Morocco become the first team to defeat Argentina in a U-20 final in 42 years—the Albiceleste's first tournament loss since their 1983 defeat to Brazil.
Argentina entered as overwhelming favorites, having won all six prior matches with 15 goals scored and only two conceded. Despite the early setback, they mounted efforts, including substituting on forward Mateo Silvetti in the 33rd minute after conceding both goals. Silvetti, who joined Inter Miami CF in the summer transfer window, had starred in Argentina's knockout run with three goals: one in the 4-0 Round of 16 win over Nigeria, the decisive strike in the 2-0 quarterfinal victory against Mexico, and the match-winner as a halftime substitute in the semifinal against Colombia.
Tournament Paths
Morocco topped Group C with two wins from three games, defeating Spain and Brazil after an opening loss to Mexico. They advanced in the knockouts by beating South Korea in the Round of 16, the United States in the quarterfinals, and France on penalties in the semifinals.
Argentina led Group D with three victories before their knockout successes over Nigeria, Mexico, and Colombia. The team reached the final without Bayer Leverkusen's Claudio Echeverri and Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono, their top players in the age group.
Awards and Implications
Othmane Maamma earned the Golden Ball as the tournament's top player. Benjamin Cremaschi (USA), Neyser Villareal (Colombia), and Lucas Michal (France) tied with five goals each, but Cremaschi claimed the Golden Boot for more assists. Silvetti now returns to Inter Miami for their playoff against Nashville SC on October 24 at Chase Stadium.
