Argentina’s U-17 national team concluded the group stage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar with a 7-0 victory over Fiji at the Aspire High Performance Complex. The team, coached by Diego Placente, finished first in Group D with three wins in three matches and a +11 goal difference.
The scoring began early with Uriel Ojeda opening the match for Argentina. Mateo MartÃnez added two goals in the first half, while Ojeda completed his hat-trick in the second. Santiago Silveira and Simón Escobar also found the net to close the match.
Argentina dominated possession and created multiple scoring chances from the start. Fiji’s goalkeeper Melvin Prakash made several key saves to prevent a larger scoreline, denying shots from Gómez Mattar, De Martis, and Zalazar. Despite his efforts, Argentina maintained control in all areas of the pitch.
The Argentine lineup featured Juan Manuel Centurión; Misael Zalazar, Mateo MartÃnez, Thiago Yanez, and Simón Escobar; Santiago EspÃndola, Gastón Bouhier, and Uriel Ojeda; Ramiro Tulián, Can Armando Güner, and Facundo Jainikoski. Placente made second-half substitutions, bringing in Esquivel, Gómez Mattar, and De Martis.
This year’s U-17 World Cup includes 48 teams for the first time in history. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 32. Argentina’s strong finish positions it among the top seeds for the knockout stage.
Argentina has never won the U-17 World Cup. Its best results include third-place finishes in 1991, 1995, and 2003, and fourth-place finishes in 2001, 2013, and 2023. The team will now wait for confirmation of its next opponent in the Round of 16.
