Cristiano Ronaldo Celebrates as Portugal Equals Ghana's 34 Year Record in FIFA U17 World Cup
- Cristiano Ronaldo has joined the wave of excitement sweeping through Portuguese football after the country’s U17 team reached a historic milestone
- The young Selecao secured a hard-fought victory over Austria, winning 1-0 to claim the FIFA U17 World Cup title in Qatar on November 27
- Portugal’s triumph, their first-ever global trophy at any level, matches Ghana’s record in the U17 competition set 34 years ago
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Portugal celebrated a landmark achievement by winning their first-ever FIFA Under-17 World Cup, edging Austria 1-0 in a gripping final held at Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.
The match on Thursday marked the first time either side had reached this stage at the youth level, adding to the occasion’s significance.
Source: Getty Images
Portugal defeats Austria to win FIFA U17 WC
Anisio Cabral emerged as the hero, scoring the lone goal in the 32nd minute.
His decisive tap-in came after a swift and precise passing move by the Portuguese side, securing victory for the reigning European Under-17 champions.
Watch Cabral's match-winner:
Cabral finished the tournament as one of the top scorers with seven goals, just a goal shy of eventual Goal King Johannes Moser from Austria.
Despite the narrow margin, the contest was fiercely competitive. Austria challenged relentlessly, edging their rivals in shots on goal by 15 to 14 and narrowly leading in scoring opportunities, five to four.
Both teams pushed hard, but Portugal’s discipline and sharp finishing made the difference.
Source: Getty Images
The tournament marked the debut of a 48-team format, earning praise from legendary football coach Arsene Wenger, now FIFA’s chief of global football development.
He called Qatar’s event a “football paradise” and predicted it would revolutionise youth football worldwide.
“This tournament will change football in the world,” Wenger said, as cited by Al Jazeera.
“We want every federation to make an effort to develop their youth. And at the moment, this is not the case. We believe that this tournament will push everybody to make more effort to develop their youth system and education.”
Ronaldo reacts after Portugal equals Ghana's U17 record
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently scored a stunning bicycle kick in the Saudi League, lauded the young squad’s quality and mindset.
The 40-year-old star, gearing up for his sixth FIFA World Cup, took to Instagram to celebrate the new champions.
“Huge! CONGRATULATIONS WORLD CHAMPIONS 🏆,” CR7 wrote, sharing a graphic of the triumphant team.
Portugal’s path to the final included a tense penalty shootout victory over Brazil, setting a rare record.
Alongside Austria, both finalists were contesting their first-ever U-17 World Cup final, a scenario unseen in 34 years, according to FIFA.
The last such occasion was Ghana’s 1-0 victory against Spain in 1991, a historic moment when the Black Starlets became the only team to win the tournament on their debut appearance.
How 'juju' denied Ghana U17 World Cup trophy
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a former Ghana youth player talked about how the Black Starlets lost the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Cup final.
The retired player said the loss to Brazil was not just about football but also involved spiritual reasons.
Source: YEN.com.gh
