Benjamin Cremaschi may only be 20 years old, but he’s already a relative veteran of FIFA tournaments.
The USA star played twice at Paris 2024 as the Stars and Stripes reached an Olympic quarter-final for the first time in 24 years. Then, back in June, he played in all four of Inter Miami CF’s matches as the Herons made the last 16 at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™.
Now, he’s gearing up to play at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™. For Cremaschi, the experience of playing on the global stage never fails to excite.
“Being able to represent my country again at the U-20 World Cup is huge for me,” he told FIFA. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to do ever since the opportunity presented itself, so I’m super happy to be here.
“We know that these types of international tournaments could be a huge change for a young player’s career, there’s a lot of eyes and a lot of people watching. But most important, we’re focused on just trying to do a good job, not trying to think too much on what are the possibilities.”
Cremaschi, who moved to Parma on loan from Inter Miami at the start of this month, knows first-hand what this tournament can do for a player’s career. Former team-mate Lionel Messi dazzled at Netherlands 2005 to take Argentina to the title, and is unsurprisingly the youngster’s idol.
“A lot of important players have played in these tournaments, so the experience is definitely going to be great,” he said. “Whenever I saw the chance, I would try to learn from him (Messi). I would try to absorb everything that he does: the way he takes care of himself, the way he manages himself and obviously the things that he does. [He’s a] great guy, even better player, and it was a very, very good experience playing with him.”
The US have a proud history at these finals, having played at all-but six of the 23 previous editions. Their best showing came at Saudi Arabia 1989 when they reached the semi-finals, and Cremaschi is determined for this side to go deep.
“I think the goal is obviously to get as far as possible,” he continued. “We have the young group of guys to do it. We like to compete; we’re a team that’s very together. We just need to stick to what we know how to do and compete at the best ability. I think on the personal side, as long as the team efforts go well and we do well as a team, the personal side will catch up.”
They begin their campaign on Monday against New Caledonia in what is the OFC’s nation’s first-ever U-20 World Cup match. They’ll then take on France and South Africa in what is sure to be a tightly-packed Group E.
“I think we have good opponents,” he added. “First of all, we need to focus on the first game. New Caledonia is on the come up. They’ve been doing very well in the last couple of years. We’ve been looking at them and we know they like to compete, they’re aggressive and they’re very excited to be here. It will be a good challenge for us.
“We know that the second and third (matches) are going to be tough. South Africa had a very good [Africa Cup of Nations] tournament. France is France; they always compete and they have a good level. I think every game is tough, especially in a World Cup where teams try to expose you in every type of way. We need to stick to our game, stick to what we do. I think we’ll be fine.”
The upcoming Chile adventure is, of course, at the front of Cremaschi and Co’s mind, but they’ll be acutely aware that FIFA World Cup 26™ – to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA – is coming into view and these finals could represent an opportunity to break into the senior side.
“From playing in the Olympics to the U-20 World Cup right now, to maybe even competing in the World Cup next year would be a crazy dream,” he admitted. “For a lot of young players, the biggest dream is to play in the World Cup right next to the Champions League. Being able to do that would be huge. Hopefully it happens. I know that I have a lot to work on and a lot to learn. Hopefully, the opportunity presents itself and I can take advantage of it.”
