Big Names from the U17 World Cup (2001-2005)

When you consider the fact that there are 288 players in every U-17 tournament, it comes as a bit of a surprise that more players don't "make it" at a big club or as a full international later in their career. In this list, I've pulled together the players from the '01, '03', and '05 U17 World Cups who have gone on to be, at minimum, fairly important club players or members of their full international team.

I may have left a couple of deserving players off or included some that I shouldn't have, but it was a judgment call on whether a player has "made it" or not. Many of the excluded players have had excellent domestic careers in the 'smaller' leagues around the world since their U17 appearance (including a couple dozen MLS players). I chose not to include them here just to keep the list a reasonable length.

I find tournaments like the U17 World Cup very exciting (The '09 version is going on right now in Nigeria, in case you weren't aware). During any game, you could be watching the next: Fernando Torres, Andres Iniesta, Carlos Tevez, Marcelo, Denilson, Fernando Gago, John Obi Mikel, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, Diego, Javier Mascherano, etc.



2005
Carlos Zambrano - (Peru; Schalke 04)
Daniel Chavez - (Peru; Club Brugge)
Jonathan Quartey - (Ghana; OGC Nice)
Celso Borges - (Costa Rica; Fredrikstad FK)
Hector Moreno - (Mexico; AZ Alkmaar)
Giovanni Dos Santos - (Mexico; Ipswich Town)
Carlos Vela - (Mexico; Arsenal)
Nuri Şahin - (Turkey; Borussia Dortmund)
Lorenzo De Silvestri (Italy; Fiorentina)
Jozy Altidore - (USA; Hull City)
Neven Subotić - (USA [now with Serbia]; Borussia Dortmund)
Dirk Marcellis - (Netherlands; PSV Eindhoven)
Marvin Emnes - (Netherlands; Middlesbrough)
Marcelo - (Brazil; Real Madrid)
Denilson - (Brazil; Arsenal)
Anderson - (Brazil; Manchester United)
Renato Augusto - (Brazil; Bayer Leverkusen)


2003
Cristián Zapata - (Colombia; Udinese)
Freddy Guarín - (Colombia; FC Porto)
Adrián Ramos - (Colombia; Hertha Berlin)
Fernando Gago - (Argentina; Real Madrid)
Ezequiel Garay - (Argentina; Real Madrid)
John Obi Mikel - (Nigeria; Chelsea)
João Moutinho - (Portugal; Sporting CP)
Manuel Fernandes - (Portugal; Valencia CF)
Miguel Veloso - (Portugal; Sporting CP)
Alex Song - (Cameroon; Arsenal)
Stephane Mbia - (Cameroon; Olympique Marseille)
Ederson - (Brazil; Olympique Lyonnais)
Jonathan Spector - (USA; West Ham United)
Freddy Adu - (USA; Benfica, loaned to Belenenses)
David Silva - (Spain; Valencia CF)
Cesc Fàbregas - (Spain; Arsenal)


2001
Kenwyne Jones - (Trinidad and Tobago; Sunderland)
Niko Kranjčar - (Croatia; Tottenham Hotspur)
Brett Holman - (Australia; AZ Alkmaar)
Diego - (Brazil; Juventus)
Eddie Johnson - (USA; Fulham)
Hassan Yebda - (France; Portsmouth, loan from Benfica)
Florent Sinama Pongolle - (France; Atletico Madrid)
Mourad Meghni - (France [now with Algeria]; Lazio)
Chaouki Ben Saada - (France [now with Tunisia]; OGC Nice)
Emerse Faé - (France [now with Cote d'Ivoire]; OGC Nice)
Guillem Bauzà - (Spain; Swansea City)
Andrés Iniesta - (Spain; Barcelona)
Fernando Torres - (Spain; Liverpool)
Javier Mascherano - (Argentina; Liverpool)
Carlos Tevez - (Argentina; Manchester City)
Gonzalo Rodríguez - (Argentina; Villarreal)
Pablo Javier Zabaleta - (Argentina; Manchester City)
Wilfried Sanou - (Burkina Faso; Köln)
Victor Hugo Mareco - (Paraguay; Brescia)
Edgar Barreto - (Paraguay; Atalanta)
Rándall Azofeifa - (Costa Rica; KAA Gent)
Cristian Bolaños - (Costa Rica; IK Start)