Under-20 World Cup: a guide to players and coaches to look out for

Maximo Perrone, Argentina: Manchester City are no mugs in the South American transfer market, as their acquisition of Julián Álvarez shows. The striker became a world champion months after moving to City from Argentina and Maximo Perrone will be looking to do the same. The 20-year-old midfielder joined from Vélez Sarsfield in January and has made two first-team appearances under Pep Guardiola. A composed presence in front of the defence, the left-footed Perrone is an elegant passer who traditionally played above his age group in Argentina.

Cade Cowell, USA: The tournament could be the start of a busy summer for the San Jose Earthquakes winger. The 19-year-old is reportedly attracting interest from across Europe. A full international after receiving his debut cap two months after turning 17, Cowell has continued to impress with his skill and physicality. He has a mindset of self-improvement, sometimes being told to rest by club staff because of fear he could cause damage through overexertion. Last year he helped the USA win the Concacaf Under-20 title.

Group A

ArgentinaUzbekistan GuatemalaNew Zealand

Group B

USAEcuador FijiSlovakia

Group C

SenegalJapanIsrael Colombia

Group D 

ItalyBrazilNigeriaDominican Republic

Group E

UruguayIraqEnglandTunisia

Group F

FranceSouth KoreaGambiaHonduras

Niko Takahashi Cendagorta, Japan: The full-back is eligible for Spain and Argentina in addition to Japan, where his mother is from. She left Japan to move to England to study, before settling in Catalonia. Takahashi likes to push forward from left-back and is very comfortable in possession, unsurprisingly for someone who has been part of the Barcelona setup for four years, and started out by playing futsal. Japan worked hard to