Top five youngsters who impressed at U-17 Sudamericana 2023

Some of the best youngsters make their names while playing in this tournament

The CONMEBOL Sudamericano Sub-17, also known as the South American U-17 Championship or U-17 Sudamericana 2023, is a biennial international junior football tournament for men's under-17 national teams from South America. CONMEBOL organized and hosted the nineteenth edition of this championship in Ecuador from 30 March to 23 April 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was postponed for four years, resulting in its cancellation in 2021.

As in previous years, the competition served as the qualifying round for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament's best four teams qualified to represent CONMEBOL at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Brazil emerged victorious, claiming their thirteenth South American U-17 championship after finishing first in the final group stage. The best four teams, including Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, and Venezuela, qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023.

Here we will discuss the top five youngsters who impressed with their skills and stats in the prestigious tournament U-17 Sudamericana 2023:

5. Rodrigo Villalba (Paraguay)

Paraguayan midfielder Rodrigo Javier Villalba Benítez, 17, excelled in the competition. Villalba Benítez, born in Paraguay on March 2, 2006, is a talented player. He has shown his technical skill, vision, and inventiveness in the midfield at 173 cm tall and 70 kg.

Villalba Benítez has shown great ball control, passing precision, and rapid decision-making throughout the campaign. He has helped his team succeed by creating scoring chances and setting up goals. Villalba Benítez leads his team's assaults and orchestrates play from the midfield despite his youthful age.

Villalba Benítez's speed, agility, and stamina complement his technical skills. He has worked hard on the pitch, covering a lot of territories and supporting in defence and offence. He scored 4 goals for the Paraguay U-17 side.

Also Read: Top three Brazilian youngsters who impressed at U-17 Sudamericana 2023

4. Michael Bermúdez (Ecudor)

The striker for the Ecuadorian National Team, Michael Bermudez, has been one of the best goal scorers at the South American under-17 event, which is coming to a close in a week. Bermudez, who plays for Liga de Quito, has scored four goals in six games. He has scored against Colombia, Paraguay, and Chile (twice), as well as Paraguay and Paraguay. He has also scored twice against Chile.

Since joining Liga de Quito in December 2017, Michael Bermudez Reyes has been a reliable goal scorer. He led LDU's Under-12 team in scoring in 2018 and the Under-16 team in 2021. He has already scored 10 goals in 10 games for the Under-17 team this year.

Before the Sudamericano, Bermudez thanked his teacher, Professor Rodrigo Garcia, for putting him in the forward position, saying, "I owe a lot to him." Ecuador made it to the final of the event but lost to Brazil, which is a much bigger team. But his hard work and commitment were a big reason why his country's U-17 team made it to the World Cup.

3. Rayan (Brazil)

Rayan Vitor Simplcio Rocha, who goes by the name Rayan, is a young Brazilian football player who plays as a forward for Vasco da Gama. Rayan joined Vasco when he was six years old and quickly became a great goal scorer. By the time he was eleven, he had scored an amazing 280 goals. In 2022, he scored 29 goals in 34 games for Vasco's under-17 team, which caught the attention of Spanish club Barcelona.

Rayan was called up to the Brazil under-17 team in 2022 to play friendly games against Chile and Paraguay. In those four games, he scored two goals. His father, Valkmar, was also a player for Vasco da Gama. He played defence for the team from 1995 to 2000. Rayan has a great record of getting goals and looks like he could be one of the best players in Brazilian football in the future. He was one of the best players in the event, and he helped Brazil win their 13th U-17 title. He scored 5 goals and was among the top goal-scorers.

2. Kauã Elias (Brazil)

Kau Elias Nogueira was born in Brazil on March 28, 2006. Young and talented, he presently plays as a forward for Fluminense, a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-based professional football club. Grandfather José Elias, a former custodian who played amateur football in the municipality of Uberlandia, reared Kau. His parents were busy with business, so his grandfather cared for him and had a significant impact on his football career.

Kau inked his first professional contract with Fluminense in June 2021, committing him to the club until 2027. The contract includes a release clause valued at approximately R$280 million (US$51.95 million) for foreign clubs, indicating the club's high expectations for this youthful talent.

Kau's abilities and performances did not go unnoticed by national team scouts, and in January 2023 he was summoned up to the Brazil under-17 team for the first time. He was re-called for the 2023 South American U-17 Championship, where he scored two goals in the opening match against Ecuador despite his team's 2-2 stalemate. He ultimately scored five goals, making him one of the tournament's leading goal scorers and contributing to Brazil's 13th victory. Kau Elias Nogueira is a promising young footballer with a bright future due to his aptitude and potential.

1. Claudio Echeverri (Argentina)

Claudio Jeremas Echeverri was born in Argentina on January 2, 2006. Currently, he plays as a forward for River Plate. Echeverri began his football career with Deportivo Luján prior to his 2017 transfer to River Plate. His remarkable performances at a children's tournament in Venice, Italy, where he scored nine goals in six games despite his team finishing third, earned him international recognition.

In October 2022, Echeverri made his reserve squad debut for River Plate, scoring a goal against Patronato. In December of the same year, he signed his first contract as a professional with the club.

Echeverri has represented Argentina at the under-17 level internationally. Due to his "devilish" dribbling abilities, speed in one-on-one situations, and powerful shot, as well as his surname's similarity to that of former Bolivian international footballer Marco Etcheverry, who was nicknamed "El Diablo", he has been dubbed "El Diablito" Echeverri admires Lionel Messi and former River player Juan Fernando Quintero, and he models his technique after Matas Suárez's. He won the Golden Boot in the U-17 championship as he scored 5 goals and played less than others. However, Argentina finished 3rd in the tournament which secured their place in the upcoming FIFA World Cup U-17.