Due to our rapidly growing international audience and network, from now on we will often publish articles in English only.
This article was created in collaboration with Mateo Vazquez (Twitter: @MVScout).
Mateo is a Uruguayan journalist specializing in football scouting and tactical analysis. He has completed Scouting and Tactical Analysis studies at MBP School and covers football for Paradine, a world leader in sports research and technology.
South American football is known and loved worldwide for its unique and mixture of technique, creativity, passion and talent. Smooth movements, delicate technique paired with slyness, charm and sometimes even magic. Who doesn't love them, the ball wizards, the brazucas and gauchos. Breathtaking dribbles, creative passes, sombreros and more. South American players make every footballer's heart beat faster. Pelé, Garrincha, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Zico, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ronaldinho, Cavani, Romário, Neymar and many more. Jogo bonito!...
Football was brought to South America by British businessmen in the late 19th century. It first reached Argentina in 1867, but it was not until the 1880s that football really took off and conquered the whole of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and, little by little, the other countries.
“Just like the tango, football also flourished in the slums.” Uruguayan poet and journalist Eduardo Galeano
The South American style of play quickly acquired its own character after birth. Technique and passing have always been more important than long balls and robustness (kick & rush). Uruguay won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 with technique and passing and repeated their success in 1950.
Later, Brazil was the superpower from 1950 to 1970, with players like Pelé and Garrincha helping the country win three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970).
This was followed by the Argentina era, which was strongly influenced by Diego Armando Maradona and Lionel Messi. Argentina won the World Cup in 1978, 1986 and 2022, with Diego Maradona playing a prominent role in 86. His “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” are legendary. Lionel Messi completed his life's work in 2022 with the Gauchos' third World Cup title.
In recent decades, countries such as Ecuador, Paraguay and Colombia have gained prominence in the football world, qualifying for several World Cups and producing some remarkable players.
CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) is the governing body of South American football and one of the most important regional football associations in the world. Founded in 1916, it promotes the development of football in South America and is known for its traditional competitions such as the Copa América, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. However, CONMEBOL also has a particular focus on promoting young talent, which is particularly evident in its youth tournaments such as the U20 championship.
CONMEBOL SUB20
The CONMEBOL U20 Championship is one of the most important platforms for discovering and promoting new football talent in South America. Over the years, the tournament has produced some of the biggest names in world football, including Lionel Messi, Neymar, Edinson Cavani and James Rodríguez. It not only serves as a stage for young players, but also as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA U20 World Cup and the Olympic Games.
The 2025 edition in Venezuela is highly anticipated as it will not only bring together the continent's best young players, but will also thrill spectators with the characteristic passion and intensity of South American football.
With its intense style of play and the emotional moments that are typical of South American football, the U20 championship remains one of the most exciting tournaments on the international football calendar. Players and fans alike can look forward to a top-class tournament that is likely to produce some future superstars.
The participants are the ten CONMEBOL member countries and they send their best U20 teams into the competition. In the preliminary round, the teams compete against each other in two groups, with the best teams advancing to the next phase.
The best teams in the preliminary round play in a final league in which everyone competes against everyone else to determine the champion.
Scouting SudamericanoSub20
A number of players are already under contract with top European clubs.
For example ARG-Claudio Echeverri (Manchester City), BRA-Deivid Washington (Chelsea),
URU-Mauro Zalazar (Schalke 04), URU-Alfonso Montero (Juventus) and ECU-Davis Bautista (Eintracht Frankfurt).
International scouts are present in large numbers, as the tournament is regarded as a melting pot for exceptional talent. The South American teams are known for their technically skilled players, creative attacking approaches and tactical flexibility - qualities that are also in demand at the highest level of world football. For top European clubs and leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga, the U20 championship is an unmissable date in the calendar.
Scouting is an essential part of the CONMEBOL U20 Championship. The tournament provides an ideal platform for scouts, coaches and football clubs from all over the world to discover the most promising young players in South America.
In collaboration with Mateo Vazquez, we have selected the 10 greatest talents and rising stars. For a holistic view, each selected player is presented with a description and an analysis of their data. This provides a balanced evaluation, combining qualitative insights with quantitative performance metrics for a complete understanding of their potential.
#10 Damian Pizarro - CHI (19, CF, Udinese, 6.5 Mio)
A beast in the making
Chile’s number 9 can be a threat for any defender in this tournament as he possesses an incredible physical condition that allows him to go past the opponents with his speed and power.
Inside the box he is lethal at both scoring goals and assisting his teammates, which also shows how complete of a forward he is.
At only 19 years old he is already making his first steps in European football as Udinese saw his potential and decided to buy him at the start of this season.
Although being on the Udinese bench for most of the time, he is still young and has all the tools to make a name for himself in the near future of the Italian club.
His data profile is very strong in the green attacking dimensions, where he consistently achieved top results with Colo Colo in 2024. He shows excellent values in terms of the volume of goal chances, the selection of his shooting positions and his efficiency in front of goal. These are top values for an attacker. Especially at his age.
In the orange passing/assisting area, he shows the courage to make line-breaking (smart) passes, although he still needs to significantly improve his success rate. His xA per shot assist value shows that he is very mature for his age and chooses his shots carefully and they are of very high quality.
The graph on the right shows his similarity to other profiles from the top 5 leagues in Europe. The similarity is mainly due to style and does not mean that the players are of the same quality.
In terms of data, he fits into several attacking roles. He can play as a classic forward, target man or deep lying striker.
#09 Kervin Andrade - VEN (19, CF-AMF, Fortaleza, 1.5 Mio)
A joy to watch
The 19 year old midfielder has the capacity to play in many attacking positions, offering both vision and great shooting technique from outside the box.
Very unique profile due to his small physique, ability and speed. Although it may seem exaggerated, his game has some similarities with Lionel Messi.
After two good seasons as a youngster in Venezuelan league, Andrade was bought by Fortaleza and his impact in the Brazilian league has been improving month by month.
Already being a player of the national team, he is the leader of this U20 squad and the responsible to guide them to the top in this tournament.
Kervin Andrade shows a versatile data profile with exceptional passing skills and creativity. His ball progression, his assists and his smart line-breaking passes are his greatest strengths. However, he needs to work on his finishing efficiency and dribbling efficiency to further realize his potential.
At 19, he has an impressive base and a very individual profile. He can continue to develop over the coming years.
His shotmap makes it clear that although he takes a lot of shots, he does so from less promising positions. He achieves an xG per shot of a very low 0.08.
Top players achieve values around 0.3
He can work on this with his data analyst.
In terms of data, he fits into many roles as an attacking midfielder or striker.
His data shows that he can takeover possession, combine well with others, receive passes as a midfielder but can also create a goal threat himself.
#08 Julio Soler – ARG (19, LB, Lanús > Bournemouth, 8 Mio)
The full (back) package
Speed, physicality, dribbling, both technical and defensive skillsets, crossing and stamina. All those are the strengths of this left back who is definitely one to keep an eye on for the rest of the tournament.
The 19 year old made huge progress in 2024, where he started as a back up youngster and ended up being one of the best players in Lanus squad at the end of the season.
His amazing year also gave him the possibility to already stablish himself in European football, as he was already bought by Bournemouth a few weeks ago, already making his official debut and being well considered by new coach Iraola.
Very unique profile who will be developing as a player in the best league of the world and one of the most interesting talents that this South American tournament has to offer.
Julio Soler's data shows a solid full-back with exceptional passing accuracy and ball progression.
His defensive presence is also good, especially in the air. To expand his profile, he should work on his offensive presence and creativity. This would help him become an even more versatile full-back.
His strong base and playing time suggest that he has great potential to become a key player in his position.
He only made 0.5 touches in the box per game, while the top values for the full-backs were over 2. His successful passes into the penalty area were 0.1 per game, while the top values for full-backs were 1. If he learns to read the game even better and to move forward with good timing at the right moment, he can complete his profile
What makes him valuable is that he has balanced strengths both defensively and offensively.
#07 Keny Arroyo – ECU (18, RAMF, Besiktas, 4 Mio)
Enjoyment guaranteed
The typical winger who is a joy to watch due to his speed, skills and amazing 1 vs 1 ability against the rival defenders.
The young forward already made his debut for the national team of Ecuador at only 18 years old and has more than 25 appearances for the first team of Independiente del Valle.
His unique characteristics as a player make him a special talent not only for this tournament but for the future of the whole sport as well, as big European clubs are scouting his development with the possibility of offering a initial bid for his services.
As we write this article, the news comes in that Besiktas have won the bidding of Keny Arroyo. He will receive a contract until 2029 and the transfer fee is reportedly 6.5 million euros.
Keny Arroyo's data shows an outstanding profile for an 18-year-old winger. His greatest strengths lie in his precise passing, creativity and ball progression. Defensively, he brings a strong commitment, which makes him a versatile player. Improvements in finishing quality and crosses could make him an even more dangerous offensive player.
With his current playing time and profile, he is a great talent with a lot of potential for the future.
His shotassist map shows that he fits into many winger interpretattions. He feels comfortable both in the center and on the wing and also provides a goal threat himself.
#06 Juan Rodríguez – URU (19, LCB, Boston River > Peñarol, 0.8 Mio)
The next uruguayan center back star
At only 19 years old, the defender is already emerging as a top prospect and someone to put an eye on for the upcoming football seasons. Currently playing the South American Youth Football Championship as a starter for his country, Rodríguez is looking sharp and mature despite his young age, as his recent performances for both national U20 team and Boston River have been very consistent.
Aiming to follow the footsteps of Diego Godin, Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Giménez by establishing himself as a Uruguayan center back in the elite of the sport, Rodríguez profile is even more complete than the three mentioned above.
A tall, quick, technical defender who can also play as a left back, is a duel winning machine and masters the act of timing by reading the game well is be a reasonable description although it may not sound realistic for a player who is not even fully developed yet due to his lack of experience.
Juan Rodríguez data shows a strong defensive player with outstanding skills in tackles, interceptions and shot-blocking.
His ball progression is also remarkable, making him a modern central defender. Weaknesses in heading and discipline (fouls and cards) should be addressed to take his game to the next level.
At 19, he shows great potential, especially in a defensive system that plays to his strengths.
#05 Diego León – PAR (17, LB, Cerro Porteño, 4 Mio)
He has it all
A very complete left back who posses an incredible physique, power and speed despite only having 17 years old and under 20 profesional football matches under his belt.
The Paraguayan star is without a doubt the standout player of his national team due to his amazing skill set with both offensive and defensive attributes. Technical with the ball, likes to take risks and good 1 vs 1, but as well great tackling ability, brave and wins duels.
There is no surprise that his name is on this prestigious list, as many Premier League clubs battled for signing him in last transfer market, with Manchester United being the club who was able to convince Leon.
Bright future ahead for this young monster who already looks like a first team footballer although he is still a kid.
Diego León's data shows exceptional skills in ball progression, dynamism and offensive presence, making him a modern full-back. His finishing and efficiency in the penalty area are also impressive for his position. However, he should work on his defensive stability, heading ability and passing accuracy to become a more complete full-back.
At only 17 years old, he has tremendous potential, especially as an attacking full-back.
The fullback is like the pawn in chess. He can cover, protect the chain, defend forwards, steal meters and then transform into the mighty queen in attack.
#04 Franco Mastantuono – ARG (17, AMF, River Plate, 15 Mio)
Bringing magic back to football
A creative, agile and unique attacking midfielder who made his professional debut being 16 years old at River Plate last season and since then he has been one of the most entertaining players to watch in South America.
Although he is not a secure starter in his actual club, it is pretty clear why he is named as one of the footballers with the brightest future ahead in this whole tournament.
Amazing shooting technique, natural talent, originality and spark are some of the reasons why top European clubs have been scouting him for the last months, leaving no doubt that he is destined to be a star in the sport very soon.
Franco Mastantuono's data shows an extremely creative and offensively strong player who shines with his assists and his presence in the penalty area.
His ball progression and shooting ability make him a dynamic and dangerous midfielder.
However, he needs to work on his finishing to become a complete player. At 17, he has exceptional potential to play at the highest level in the coming years and play a key role in attacking midfield.
His shotmap makes it clear that he takes a lot of shots, probably because he has a good shot. However, he does this too often from less promising positions.
He achieves an xG per shot of alarmingly low 0.07. Top AMF achieve values of around 0.3.
He can work on his patience with his data analyst. But with 1.9 shot assists per game he achieves a league top value.
In terms of data, he fits into many roles as an attacking midfielder.
Best as a second striker CAM or box-to-box midfielder.
Our similarity algorithm ranks him 89% to E. Ben Seghir (Monaco) and 86% to Savinho (Manchester City).
#03 Gabriel Moscardo – BRA (19, CMF, Corinthians > Reims, 12 Mio)
Declan Rice regen
A central midfielder with a huge variety of attributes despite his young age: tall, aggressive, can carry the ball perfectly and is always well positioned on the pitch, covering free spaces in defensive areas.
Can be useful in different type of context as he adapts to a team that likes to have the ball, being key in areas such as playing from the back or doing simple/ intelligent passes that will allow his team to have control over the match, but he can also be ruthless and used in a defensive system as well.
If he can add up a little more muscle to his athletic composition, he will be one of the best midfielders of the next decade.
Since he only played 97 minutes in 2024 season, we used his 2023 data profile where he played as a DMF.
Moscardo showed exceptional defensive skills paired with strong ball progression. His physical presence and defensive instincts make him an outstanding midfielder. Improvements in creative offense could further round out his game.
#02 Kendry Páez – ECU (17, AMF, Indep. del Valle > Chelsea, 12 Mio)
Born to be a star
Making his profesional debut at 15 years old in his current club Independiente Del Valle and his national team debut at age 16 with Ecuador, there are no doubts that this kid is something special.
His quality with the ball on his feet is undeniable, as he brings many offensive attributes to the table: shooting, vision, 1 vs 1, agility and speed are all part of Páez repertoire.
Apart from his unbelievable abilities, he also posses a very strong mentality that mixes both leadership and bravery, allowing him to not feel pressure in specific situations of the game, which differences himself from most youngsters playing worldwide.
With a bright future ahead and already been bought by Chelsea Football Club, Ecuador have a true diamond for the long term.
Kendry Páez's data shows an exceptionally talented CAM with outstanding passing, creativity and goal-scoring ability.
His defensive commitment is also impressive for an attacking midfielder. However, he should work on his finishing quality and the success rate of his dribbles to become even more dangerous in attack.
At 17, he has the potential to become an outstanding player at the top level.
The following graph with the sum of Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA) shows its positive development.
Our similarity algorithm ranks him 86% to M. Olise (Bayern Munich) , 86% to R. Cherki (Olympique Lyonnais) and 83% C. Palmer (Chelsea).
#01 Claudio Echeverri – ARG (19, AMF, River Plate > Man City, 18 Mio)
Argentina’s future number 10
Small, agile, quick, great shooting techique from outside the box/ free kicks, can provide assist, wears the number 10 and is born in Argentina. No, I am not talking about Lionel Messi, but a very similar player: Echeverri.
Debuting at 17 in a gigantic club such as River Plate demonstrates both the talent and personality of “El Diablo”, who once this tournament is over will be playing for one of the biggest teams in the world such as Manchester City.
The captain and main character of this Argentina dream U20 team side is destined for greatness in the elite of the sport
Claudio Echeverri's data shows an exceptionally talented attacking midfielder with impressive skills in creativity, passing and ball progression. His strength lies in the preparation of goal-scoring opportunities and his presence in the opponent's penalty area. Defensive work and dribbling are clear areas for improvement.
At 18, he shows enormous potential to become a top playmaker. A positive development could elevate him to a world-class level.
The Pass Danger Index (PDI) aims to calculate the danger or threat created with passes in a simple way. He's based on four pass types which correlate most strongly with progression ans goal threat.
Here, too, we see his strong contribution in gaining space and creating a goal threat through passing.
The fact that he already has the feeling, the timing and the vision of space for dangerous passes and a mature decision making at such a young age is really extraordinary.
In terms of his events data, he fits into many roles as an attacking midfielder. Whether box-to-box, classic CAM but also as a second striker CAM.
Our similarity algorithm ranks him 86% to Yildiz (Juventus).
SudamericanoSub20
As goodies a few post match dashboards of some games.
The dashboards provide a analysis of a match by displaying important aspects of the game. It is divided into several sections that highlight different dimensions of the game: These data and visualizations provide a neutral representation of the game, analyzing both defensive and offensive performances and patterns of play.
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