Friday 15 November 2019, 15:23

Mexico and Brazil: A shared tradition of U-17 excellence

  • Brazil and Mexico will contest the Brazil 2019 finale

  • Pair have five FIFA U-17 World Cups title between them

  • FIFA.com looks back on their past triumphs

On Sunday at Estadio Bezerrao, either Mexico or Brazil will add another FIFA U-17 World Cup™ trophy to their cabinet. The pair competing in the final have proven themselves powerhouses at this level: El Tri have now reached this match four times and won it twice, while A Seleção are making their sixth appearance with three wins under their belt.

Where India 2017 featured two European sides seeking their first U-17 title - as England defeated Spain 5-2 to seize gold - Brazil 2019 will be entirely different. FIFA.com details all five championships between this edition's featured duo.

🏆 1997 [[flag-bra-s]]

Brazil's maiden U-17 championship came over two decades ago, at Egypt 1997. Buoyed by a 17-year-old Ronaldinho, who was a rising star for Gremio at the time, the South Americans tore through the group stage, scoring 13 goals while conceding only one. After soundly beating Argentina (2-0) and Germany (4-0) in the knockout rounds, Brazil came from behind to defeat Ghana 2-1 in the final.

🏆 1999 [[flag-bra-s]]

New Zealand 1999 featured more tightly-contested ties for the young Canarinha compared to two years prior. The tournament began and ended with matches against Australia: Brazil first won 2-1 on 12 November, then bested them again via penalty shoot-out at the final 15 days later in Auckland. Following a scoreless draw in regulation time, Brazil clipped the Joeys 8-7 on spot-kicks to hoist their second consecutive trophy.

🏆 2003 [[flag-bra-s]]

The two-time winners let their defence do the talking at Finland 2003. Captained by centre-back Joao Guilherme, head coach Marcos Paqueta's charges conceded just one goal the entire competition. Goalkeeper Bruno Landgraf maintained clean sheets in all three knockout round encounters, including keeping adidas Golden Ball winner Cesc Fabregas off the scoresheet in the final, a 1-0 triumph that earned Brazil its third U-17 crown.

🏆 2005 [[flag-mex-s]]

Following one of their best-ever finishes, Mexico jumped from quarter-finalists at Finland 2003 to champions at Peru 2005, conquering the favoured Brazilians in the final. The showpiece match in Lima was a showdown between adidas Golden Ball winner Anderson and top goalscorer Carlos Vela. The Mexican forward netted the opening goal, propelling El Tri to glory thanks to a convincing 3-0 victory.

🏆 2011 [[flag-mex-s]]

Eight years ago, Mexico became the first and only team to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup on home soil. The Concacaf champions left nothing to chance, first winning every match in World Cup qualifying, then winning every match at the World Cup. The clincher was a 2-0 result against Uruguay in front of a staggering 98,943 fans at Estadio Azteca, providing the perfect atmosphere for a championship celebration. Will Mexico be able to flip the script at Brazil 2019, spoiling the hosts' golden aspirations in Brasilia?