Qatar in Group D at U-20 FIFA World Cup, alongside Nigeria, Ukraine and the USA

The 22nd edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland is just three months away, and two crucial milestones were reached back-to-back.

First, Grzywek, a Polish bison, was unveiled as the tournament’s Official Mascot and the next day, the tournament’s different groups were decided.

FIFA legends Bebeto, who won the U-20 World Cup in 1983 and the FIFA World Cup in 1994; and Fernando Couto, who lifted the U-20 title in 1989, made the draw in front of numerous coaches and icons of Polish football.

Qatar, fresh off their AFC Asian Cup champions victory, are in Group D alongside Nigeria, Ukraine and the USA.

Qatar were the runners-up of the tournament way back in 1981 when they lost to West Germany 0-4 in the finals. Qatar could not progress beyond the group stages in their next two appearances — in 1995 and 2015.

Hosts Poland will face Colombia in the opening match on May 23 and have been drawn in the same group as Senegal. All three sides had met at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia during the group stage. Tahiti is the fourth side in Group A.

AFC Asian Cup runners-up Japan have been placed in Group B, along with Mexico, Italy and Ecuador. Group C has Honduras, New Zealand, Uruguay and Norway in it while Group E comprises Panama, Mali, France and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Portugal, Korea Republic, Argentina and South Africa make up the final Group F.

“I’ll be here during the summer, not only to enjoy the games but also to discover the culture of Poland,” said FIFA Secretary-General Fatma Samoura.

“The FIFA U-20 World Cup is a way for young players to demonstrate their talents and it’s the second oldest FIFA competition, watched by more than 13m people. Tickets are very affordable, so we hope for packed stadiums in the six host cities of Poland,” she said.
“We’re pleased that FIFA has trusted us to organise this great event,” said Zbigniew Boniek, President of the Polish Football Association.

“The tournament will be a big success. Everyone will have the chance to experience Polish hospitality, our openness to others, our cuisine and our fantastic fans. This tournament is organised in a special year for us as we celebrate 100 years of the Polish FA. It makes this event even more special.”

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