COUNTDOWN: Facts About The FIFA U-20 World Cup

The FIFA U-20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday, May 30, 2015, in New Zealand.  Nigeria's U-20 national team, Flying Eagles, will be eyeing the top prize in the picture below.


Dream Sports Yarn brings you some interesting facts about the competition to put you in the mood.



14 seconds is all it took Nigeria's Monday Odiaka to score the fastest goal in U-20 World Cup history against Canada in 1985. His compatriot, John Owoeri, netted the second-quickest, four seconds shy of the record.

100 of the 504 players at New Zealand 2015 play their football in foreign leagues. USA's squad, with 13, has the most players overseas, followed by Mali with ten. By contrast, every one of the players representing Myanmar, Ukraine and Uzbekistan ply their trade with domestic clubs.

4 consecutive U-20 World Cups have now kicked off without the tournament's reigning champions. France, winners in 2013, failed to qualify to defend their title in New Zealand, following in the footsteps of Brazil in 2013, Ghana in 2011 and Argentina in 2009.