The FIFA U17 World Cup has a reputation for showcasing some of the world’s best young talent, and this year’s edition in India has been no different.
Young players from across the world have lit up the tournament, where Spain and England will face off in the final on Saturday.
Here are five of the best performers at the tournament so far.
A hat-trick in the quarterfinal followed by another in the semi-final – there’s not much more you can do to stand up for your country.
Brewster’s Ronaldo-esque performances have fired England into the final, and he’s the favourite to wrap up the Golden Boot. With seven goals in six games, he’d deserve the accolade.
The former Chelsea prodigy is now at Liverpool and has already caught the eye of Jurgen Klopp. Displays like this on a global stage mean his club debut is likely not too far away – he’s already made the matchday squad for a Liverpool first-team side, although he didn’t get on the pitch back in April.
Rhian Brewster scored hat-tricks in the quarterfinal and semifinal.
The youngster who recently made his Borussia Dortmund debut caught the eye in India. He starred for England in the group stages, before he was recalled by his club side.
It’s a shame Dortmund called him back, because the knockout rounds of a World Cup would have been a fitting stage for the young winger. He has tremendous talent, which was on display throughout England’s opening three matches.
Jadon Sancho only played in the group stages, but had some eye-catching displays.
Ruiz looks like an archetypal Spain striker. He creates space for himself with intelligent movement, and he finishes with remarkable calm.
The Barcelona forward grabbed a brace in the semi-final to seal Spain’s spot in the final, where he’ll go head-to-head against England’s Brewster. Ruiz is just one goal behind Brewster in the scoring charts, so he’s got every chance at winning the Golden Boot.
Abel Ruiz’s goals and all-around play has led Spain to the final.
Not to be confused with Barcelona’s midfielder, Paulinho was one of Brazil’s most dangerous threats in the tournament.
He possesses a fierce long-range shot, as he showed with a stunning strike against Spain in the group stages. His pace and propensity to cut inside from the flank make him a tricky customer, as England discovered in the semi-final.
An absolutely thumping goal from Paulinho took Brazil to the semifinals of the U-17 World Cup
— ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) October 22, 2017
Report: https://t.co/uTdxSvW9kt #FIFAU17WC pic.twitter.com/ekphduVlvR
Arp isn’t just prolific. More than the fact that he scored five goals in five games at the U17 World Cup, it was the quality of his goals that caught the eye.
The youngster loves the chip in one-on-one situations, as he showed more than once in India, and he also scored from a seemingly impossible angle for one of his goals.
For a striker of his quality, he’s also remarkably unselfish; he keeps his head up and is never shy of picking out a teammate if that’s the better option. His flicks and passes kept Germany’s attacks flowing throughout the tournament.
Germany’s Jann-Fiete Arp scored some wonderful goals at the U17 World Cup.
