Hosted in Chile, the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup featured immense talent from the likes of Othmane Maamma, Milton Delgado, Santino Barbi, and many more. The last two nations in this final, Argentina and Morocco, had an impressive performance to reach the end of this tournament, to say the least. From penalties to dominance in every game, these teams had two remarkably different paths to reach the final game. 

Argentina’s U20 men’s soccer team, along with their senior international team, have dominated the competition in South America for centuries, but this World Cup was unheard of up until they won second place. They didn’t lose a single game that entire tournament until the final. This would’ve been the third time the U20 team has done that in this tournament since its creation in 1977.

Unexpectedly, the Moroccan team had a different path to this final after being placed in the group stage with powerhouse teams such as Brazil, Spain, and Mexico. This only proved that they belonged in the tournament because they ended up getting first in their group, only losing 1-0 to Mexico. Then, their semifinal match against France had me on the edge of my seat when at the end of extra time, the two teams went to a penalty shootout. 

This match had Argentina on the defensive side most of the first half because Morocco’s give-and-go playstyle was making it hard for their defenders to keep possession. But it was a free kick from Yassir Zabiri, after a coach’s request for a Video Assistant Referee, that ended up not being his last; 17 minutes later, Yassir Zabiri sealed the deal for Morocco in their 2-0 win over Argentina.