FIFA U-20 World Cup Football comes to New Zealand

Organisers of the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup are expecting the tournament to be the greatest display of football ever seen on these shores attracting a new generation of fans into the sport.

The much-anticipated 52-match competition gets underway on 30 May with New Zealand taking on the Ukraine at Auckland’s North Harbour Stadium. 

The tournament takes place at venues nationwide with matches also scheduled for Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington and Whangarei.

Local Organising Committee CEO Dave Beeche says the tournament will feature some of the future superstars of world football many of whom already grace the dressing rooms of some of the top club sides in Europe.

“The competition in the past has focused the spotlight on some of the world’s greatest footballers such as Messi, Maradona, Ronaldinho, Fabregas and Iniesta and their understudies will be here in force. 

“Who’s to say the same won’t apply in a few years’ time for the likes of Kiwi midfielder Bill Tuiloma who recently made his first team debut for Olympique Marseille and Brazilian Marcos Guilherme who plays for Atletico Paranaense and has a reported $30 million Euro release fee in his contract.

“It will be the greatest display of football this country will have ever seen” Dave Beeche says.

New Zealand Football CEO Andy Martin believes the tournament will provide a strong boost for a code on the rise in this country.

“One of the world’s major sporting events with a truly global reach is being held on our own shores,” Martin says.

“With the most talented players from a generation of superstars in waiting coming to the country, we have a unique opportunity to capture the imagination of new young players and help them fall in love with our game.”

“With the quality of the football on show we expect to grow our audience on and off the field and that will only benefit the game in New Zealand.

From the perspective of players, officials and spectators, the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 is an opportunity not to be missed,” Martin says.

The Government has contributed $5.5 million to the tournament, which is being broadcast to over 100 countries with a probable global TV audience of 170 million.

Just last week it was announced that triple platinum selling recording artist and X Factor New Zealand judge Stan Walker is to be an ambassador for the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015.

Walker is also the headline act at the ‘Kick-off show’ for the FIFA U-20 World Cup on 30 May, opening the festivities with a live performance ahead of the first match between New Zealand and Ukraine.

Several past and present stars of New Zealand Football have also signed up as ambassadors including, Winston Reid,  Wynton Rufer, Ivan Vicelich, Andy Boyens, Glenn Moss, Ben Sigmund, Mark Paston, Mike McGarry and Aaron Scott.
  
The FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 Final and the third and fourth place play-off will take place at North Harbour Stadium on 20 June.

For more visit: http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/











About FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The Championship has been awarded every two years since the first tournament in 1977 held in Tunisia.

In the seventeen tournaments held, only eight nations have won the title. Argentina is the most successful team with six titles, followed by Brazil with five titles. Portugal won two titles, while Ghana, Germany, Spain, and formerly existing nations Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have won the title once each.