A 97th-minute strike from Ian Garguez earned hosts Chile a dramatic opening-day win at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025™ over a heartbroken New Zealand. Earlier in Group A, Japan were victorious as they swept aside Egypt. Ukraine also joined the winners’ circle after dispatching of Korea Republic in Group B, before Paraguay did the same by edging a thriller with Panama.
Tomorrow, Morocco and Spain will lock horns as Italy and Australia do battle in the early kick-offs. Brazil and Mexico will cross swords later in the day before Argentina join the party against Cuba.
Group A
Japan 2-0 Egypt
Japan goals: Rion Ichihara pen (29), Hisatsugu Ishii (48)
A Rion Ichihara penalty and a well-taken Hisatsugu Ishii strike proved enough for Japan to sink Egypt in Santiago.
The AFC giants took the lead via the penalty spot on the stroke of the half-hour. Ishii slipped in Shunsuke Saito who was clipped in the box, with captain Ichihara calmly slotting home the resulting spot-kick.
Yuzo Funakoshi’s side doubled their lead just after the break, as the ball fell to Ishii outside of the area to side-foot home.
Japan will take on the hosts next time out, while Egypt battle New Zealand.
Quotes
“We went through the Asian qualifier also on penalties, so I had confidence in taking it. It was a penalty that my teammates earned, and I had the responsibility to score it as captain, but I hit it with confidence. We will continue doing the same things and win the next one too.”
Rion Ichihara, Japan captain
Stat
Japan have now scored in seven consecutive U-20 World Cup openers. The last time they failed to net in their curtain-raiser was in the 2-0 defeat to Australia at Argentina 2001, a tournament where Egypt placed third.
Chile 2-1 New Zealand
Chile goal: Lautaro Millan (54), Ian Garguez (90+7)
New Zealand goal: Nathan Walker pen (84)
A buzzer-beater winner by Ian Garguez sent Santiago into raptures as they clinched an opening-day win in dramatic fashion.
After a first half of few openings, New Zealand flew out of the traps in the second with Keegan Kelly hitting the post from a corner. The hosts then had their goalkeeper to thank for retaining parity as he made a fine double save to first deny Luke Brooke-Smith then Codey Phoenix.
They’d live to rue those misses soon after as Agustin Arce intercepted a slack pass and threaded through Lautaro Millan, who netted with an unerring finish. It looked like it was going to be enough until substitute Nathan Walker bundled his way through the home box before he was tripped. He dusted himself down and coolly slotted home the leveller. There was time for further drama, though, as Garguez capitalised on a goalkeeping error to smash home a historic winner.
Stat
Nathan Walker came on as a substitute just 35 seconds before winning the penalty for New Zealand’s equaliser.
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Group B
Korea Republic 1-2 Ukraine
Korea Republic goal: Kim Myeongjun (80)
Ukraine goals: Hennadii Synchuk (13), Oleksandr Pyshchur (16)
Two goals in four first-half minutes were enough for Ukraine to see off Korea Republic in their opening group contest in Valparaiso.
Ukraine struck first through Hennadii Synchuk, whose well-taken left-footed effort curled inside the far post. Minutes later the margin was doubled, as towering dangerman Oleksandr Pyshchur thumped in a header.
Korea Republic nearly pulled one back before half-time when a Kim Taewon shot had to be cleared off the line by Oleksiy Gusiev. The AFC side kept plugging away through set pieces and finally got their goal on a powerful Kim Myeongjun header off a corner kick.
Despite the late Korean charge, Ukraine would hang on the rest of the way to secure the points.
Quotes
“I feel sorry about the first half, but I think the second half we had kind of a meaningful game. In the second half, we played our game as we planned, but the result is not what we wanted. We did a lot of set-piece practice before this tournament, and we feel kind of accomplishment because we made a goal with that after the tremendous amount of training. It’s an honor for me to represent my country, and I think that’s why I was able to score.”
Kim Myeong-Jun,
“It was a tough game, but we knew it was going to be a hard game. But we won, we have three points. It was a really impressive start for Ukraine. Every game, it doesn’t matter against who we play, we want to dominate on the field. My goal? We played very well as a team, so it’s not about me, it’s about the team.”
Hennadii Synchuk, Ukraine striker
Stat
Standing at 2.04m, Oleksandr Pyshchur is the tallest player at these finals. He’s 49cm – or 1.6 feet – taller than the smallest player, Diego Sanchez of Mexico.
Paraguay 3-2 Panama
Paraguay goal: Alexandro Maidana (42), Enso Gonzalez (62), Tiago Caballero (90+4)
Panama goal: Martin Krug (5), Giovany Herbert (76)
Paraguay scored in the final seconds to edge Panama in a scintillating curtain-raiser in Valparaiso.
Panama enjoyed a dream start, with Martin Krug stabbing home a loose ball in front of goal. Paraguay went to work on trying to find an equaliser and Alexandro Maidana delivered when he pounced on a pinballing ball and smashed home.
Goalkeepers Cecilio Burgess of Panama and Paraguay’s Facundo Insfran each had to make sparkling saves to keep things even, but Burgess could do nothing on an unstoppable volley from Paraguay’s ever-dangerous Enso Gonzalez.
Panama refused to buckle and pulled level when Giovany Herbert polished off a sparkling one-two combination with Gustavo Herrera. But the spoils belonged to the South Americans, as Tiago Caballero’s strike at the death won it.
Stat
This is the first time Paraguay have come from behind to win a match at the U-20 World Cup in what was their 37th game.
