Sometimes the fitness coach has to pull him aside, concerned he is overdoing it, but Bruno Torres shrugs off any such worries. The Chilean skipper is always keen to do that little bit more. With all eyes on the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, which takes place from 3 to 27 November, the imposing centre-back regularly stays behind after training to polish his game. He can often be found launching long passes with his weaker left foot, but, truth be told, he sticks around on the training pitch to fine-tune pretty much anything and everything.
Torres is very much the talisman of a generation of players who booked their ticket to Qatar on the strength of their semi-final finish at the CONMEBOL South American U-17 Championship. Sebastian Miranda’s charges secured second spot in Group A with nine points, bouncing back from an opening-game defeat to hosts and eventual runners-up Colombia by edging Argentina 3-2, before powering past Peru 5-0 and running out 1-0 victors over Paraguay.
The 17-year-old, who also wears the armband for Colo-Colo’s U-18 side, harbours ambitions of putting Chile firmly on the map as he prepares to make the step up to senior football with the Santiago-based outfit. La Rojita are set to grace the U-17 global bonanza once again after missing out on the previous edition in Indonesia two years ago. The South Americans will be itching to improve on their best showing in the competition: the third-place finish recorded on Japanese soil back in 1993.
The U-17 side’s participation in Qatar is part of an exciting period for the Chilean youth national teams, with their U-20 counterparts set to line up as hosts at the FIFA U-20 World Cup™, which kicks off on 27 September.
For the U-17 showpiece, which is the first edition to feature 48 nations, Chile have been drawn in Group K alongside Canada, France and Uganda.
Bruno Torres: It was pretty intense. The matches came thick and fast, and there was no time to dwell on the results. You had to get over a defeat straight away, and we couldn’t even really savour our victories. We lost our opener against Colombia, but we quickly dusted ourselves down and were ready to go again against Argentina. Overall, we enjoyed a strong campaign, with some big wins. Qualifying directly for the World Cup gives us a confidence boost heading into the tournament.
It makes a big difference. Those who’ve made their senior debuts for their club sides play with more intensity, and that rubs off on the rest of us. It’s contagious, in the best sense. Having more team-mates breaking through and getting minutes under their belt can only be positive for the group.
We’ve got some excellent individuals, but the strength of this side lies in how we function as a unit. That teamwork allows the individuals to shine even brighter.
It leaves a bitter taste, because we’d all love to see La Roja at a World Cup. But there’s also a feeling that we’re ready to change that story. At U-17 and U-20 levels and across the youth national teams, there’s a real sense that we can help Chile make it back to the biggest stage.
The goal is always the same: to take Chile as far as possible. We’ll be giving everything on the pitch to make sure we go deep into the tournament.
This set of players have been together for two years now, and I’ve been captain throughout. It’s a big responsibility. No matter what, I have to be there for them, bringing us together, geeing everyone up, representing the badge and guarding its honour. Wearing the armband is also about earning the trust of the coaching staff. I’m now well used to being captain. It’s a privilege, and one I take pride in.
My dream at Colo-Colo is to make my first-team debut and establish myself as a member of the squad, and then to ultimately represent the senior national side.
The coaches have already studied our three opponents, and we know we’re in for some tough, physically demanding matches. But the goal is to just play our game, to show we’re capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone, to prove that we’re a good footballing side and to put into practice what we work on every day in training. If we do that, we believe we can go far in the tournament.
In keeping the ball and controlling the tempo and rhythm of the game. We play with good intensity. Our style is characterised by the grit, drive and courage that define Chile as a nation. If we show those qualities, we’re sure to cause the opposition plenty of problems.
