Venezuela made waves en route to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™. They sealed their spot at the global showpiece by claiming third place at the CONMEBOL South American U-17 Championship, a showing that they have only bettered once in their history, when they finished as runners-up in 2013.
Oswaldo Vizcarrondo’s charges will go head-to-head with England, Haiti and Egypt in Group E, with their sights set on reaching the knockout phase and challenging for the top prize in Doha. The current crop of players includes Marcos Maitan, a defender in the same mould as his coach, who himself played in the same position with distinction for his country. The commanding centre-half is quickly becoming a fixture for Venezuelan club Monagas and is now ready to spearhead his nations’s campaign in Qatar.
Maitan spoke to FIFA with only days to go before the start of the expanded 48-team tournament.
Marcos Maitan: The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotions, especially with the friendlies we’ve been playing in the United Arab Emirates. I can’t stop thinking about Qatar, with a mix of excitement and nerves. I can already picture myself on the flight over there. I’m imagining the atmosphere, the camp and everything that awaits us. It’s incredible!
It was monumental. We’ve always known that this group of players had potential. We set out to make history and we succeeded. It was La Vinotinto’s second-best run at the competition, which filled us with pride.
It was crazy. We were focusing on ourselves, but we had one eye on what was unfolding in the other game. Every minute seemed to last a lifetime. It was nerve-racking, but we felt deep down that we’d make it through. Whenever anyone mentioned how Ecuador were doing, we’d all exchange a glance. We knew that everything could change if either we or Brazil scored. It felt like time was standing still.
We breathed a huge sigh of relief when Juan Camilo scored. We knew that the late equaliser was all-important. We were putting everything on the line. It was all the more satisfying knowing that we’d earned our spot on our own merit and with practically the last kick of the game too!
It was a huge source of pride. Leading the team out for such a make-or-break match meant a lot to me. I felt I needed to strike a balance between staying calm and rallying the players to make sure that the team didn’t switch off. [Head coach Oswaldo] Vizcarrondo always asks us to show leadership on the pitch, and we were fully focused on the task at hand.
We’re heading into this World Cup with confidence. The qualifying competition brought us closer and made us stronger. We’ve been playing together since before last year’s South American U-15 Championship, and at this point we’re like family. We’ve learned to fight shoulder to shoulder, and it really shows on the pitch. It’s been a long road, but it’s been fulfilling. We’ve been through all sorts, and what really counts is knowing how to move forward.
It’s a tough draw, but we embrace it. Facing so many teams from across the globe in friendlies teaches you to stay focused and to never underestimate any opponent. The opening match against England is a huge challenge, but a source of motivation. We’ll give it everything we’ve got.
I’m a strong centre-half who likes to read the game, win tackles and contribute in attack whenever I can, whether that’s bringing the ball out or posing an aerial threat. I’m always looking to improve and learn, especially from our coach, who was iconic in my role for the national team in his playing days.
I really admire Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos. I try to learn from their positioning and how they read the game.
Oswaldo is a great leader with a wealth of experience. Having been a centre-half himself, he knows how it feels to play at the back. He teaches us a lot and is always there to guide us. He’s very approachable.
We want to go as far as we can. We’re dreaming of making history for Venezuela. Naturally, when you compete, you always aim for the top. For me, that’s the only way.
I started when I was just a little kid. I’d already begun playing at the age of six. My parents always supported me and took me to play, and I just kept going from there. I’ve been chasing my dream from a very young age, which meant moving when the opportunity to play for Monagas arrived.
