Top 5 Wonderkids to Watch at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup

• Andrey Santos and Tommaso Baldanzi are superstars set to graze the FIFA Under-20 World Cup
• The FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina starts on Saturday, 20 May, and runs through to Sunday, 11 June
• Argentina are the most winners of the competition with six titles to their credit

The FIFA Under-20 World Cup is set to graze our screens again, and a new set of superstars are set to be unleashed on the world stage.

Six-time champions Argentina will host the 2023 edition, with 24 teams competing for the ultimate prize between May 20 and June 11, 2023.

According to Olympics, Argentina stepped in to host the tournament after Indonesia was stripped of the rights by FIFA. The country also hosted the competition in 2001.

Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Paul Pogba, and Erling Haaland are all superstars who have emerged from the Under-20 World Cup, and the 2023 edition is set to produce a new set of stars.

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Here, Sports Brief alongside Goal looks at the top five players to watch at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

5. Andrey Santos (Brazil)

Chelsea paid £13 million for Andrey Santos in January. While work permit issues forced him to return to Vasco da Gama on loan for the remainder of the English season, there is already buzz at Stamford Bridge about the midfielder's potential.

The 19-year-old has been compared to Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets in the past, but his all-around game is more well-rounded, as demonstrated during January's U20 South American Championship, where Andrey finished as joint-top scorer with six goals while captaining Brazil to victory

He will wear the armband once more during the World Cup as Brazil seeks a sixth title.

4. Tommaso Baldanzi (Italy)

Baldanzi, an attacking midfielder with a flair for the spectacular, has had a breakout season in Serie A for Empoli, scoring four goals, including the now-famous winner against Inter at San Siro.

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Baldanzi, who was named Primavera (U19) Player of the Year after leading Empoli to the national title in 2021, has already trained with the senior Italy squad and could be on the move this summer.

The agent for the 20-year-old has confirmed that several top Italian clubs are interested in him, including Inter, AC Milan, and Lazio.

3. Fabricio Diaz (Uruguay)

Under incoming manager Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay are set to transition to a new generation of players, and Diaz is expected to be an important piece of the puzzle when he eventually makes the jump to the senior side.

For now, the 20-year-old will captain his country in the U20 World Cup, hoping to replicate some of his eye-catching performances from the recent U20 South American Championship, where he scored five goals as Uruguay finished runners-up.

According to reports, the central midfielder, who has played over 100 senior games for Liverpool FC Montevideo, has already agreed to join Barcelona this summer.

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2. Maximo Perrone (Argentina)

Manchester City sign a lot of teenage South Americans. Still, few of them make it into Pep Guardiola's matchday squad, so the fact that Perrone has been on the bench for the majority of the second half of the season suggests the Premier League champions see something special in him.

City paid £8 million to bring the midfielder from Velez Sarsfield to England in January after his performances in Argentina were compared to those of Frenkie de Jong and Fede Valverde.

The 20-year-old will now be expected to lead from the front for the hosts as they look to add six U20 World Cup titles to their record.

1. Kevin Paredes (United States)

Despite having only turned 20 at the beginning of May, Paredes has already made 22 Bundesliga appearances for Wolfsburg since joining the German club in January 2022.

The former D.C. United starlet can play anywhere down the left side and will be counted on to be the US' primary provider of chances in Argentina.

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Though he has yet to make his senior international debut, a call-up to the squad is expected for one of the success stories of the European season in terms of Americans who play in Europe.

Nigeria drawn in Group D

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will trade tackles with Brazil at the FIFA U20 World Cup to be hosted in Argentina from May 20 to June 11.

Other teams in Group D are Italy and Dominican Republic, as many already tag it as the 'group of death'.

The Flying Eagles are one of the four African representatives having qualified for the tournament after clinching bronze at the U-20 AFCON held earlier in the year.