Jeonju, Suwon to host 2017 U-20 World Cup

Korea Football Association (KFA) President Chung Mong-gyu announces the host cities of the 2017 U-20 World Cup Korea opening game and final at the association's headquarters in central Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of KFA

By Nam Hyun-woo

The cities of Jeonju and Suwon will host the opening and final games in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea, the Korea Football Association (KFA) said Tuesday.

The tournament for football prospects from 24 countries will be played in Cheonan, Daejeon, Incheon, Jeju, Jeonju and Suwon from May 20 to June 11, 2017.

This will be the 21st tournament, which is held every two years. Serbia is the reigning champion after a 2-1 extra-time win over Brazil in the final in New Zealand earlier this year.

The tournament has been a showcase for tomorrow’s football stars. Diego Maradonna, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Carlos Tevez, Kaka, Louis Figo, Rui Costa and countless other football giants launched their successful careers in the U-20 World Cups, and rising stars, such as Julian Brandt of Germany (Bayer Leverkusen), Angel Correa of Argentina (Atletico Madrid), Andreas Pereira of Brazil (Manchester United) and Viktor Kovalenko of Ukraine (FC Shakhtar Donetsk) have garnered keen interests on their prospects in the next games.

“The U-20 World Cup is the second biggest football tournament after the World Cup and the proving ground for future giants,” said KFA President Chung Mong-gyu. “The KFA will spare no effort to help host cities stage a successful tournament, and for the Korean team to deliver joy to their supporters as the national team did in the 2002 World Cup,” he said, adding the organizing committee for the tournament will be named early next year.

As the host country, Korea was seeded in Group A and will play in the opening game on May 20 at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium, North Jeolla Province. After playing their second group match at the stadium three days later, the team will move to Suwon to play the last group match on May 26.

After six groups completing their group matches, the round of 16 games will be staged from May 30. Should the Koreans finish first in Group A, they will play in Jeonju; while a second-place finish will send them to the Cheonan Sports Complex. Since the tournament allows the four best ranked third-placed teams to advance to the knock-out stage, the Koreans will also be able to continue their campaign in Jeju or Daejeon if they finish third.

Quarterfinals are scheduled for June 4 and 5 and semifinals June 8.

The official draw for the tournament will take place on March 11.

Jeonju and Suwon house the two K-League Classic titans Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Reportedly, a team of FIFA inspectors, who visited Korea in September to confirm the six host cities, highly appreciated the popularity of football in the two, as well as their stadiums, practice facilities, accommodation and other infrastructure.

“The reason why the opening game is important is that it has to embody all the symbolic meanings of the tournament,” said Jeonju Mayor Kim Seung-soo. “I’d like to extend my gratitude from the rather small city of Jeonju for selected to host the biggest match.”

The tournament’s headquarters will be in Suwon. Mayor Yeom Tae-young said: “Suwon is the Korean Mecca of football and boasts experience in hosting international matches. I’d like to express my gratitude for Suwon being given another chance to successfully display its capability to host another prestigious tournament.”