Football: Three days to U-20 World Cup whistle

NZ Under-20 captain Bill Tuiloma (left) with Papamoa's Jesse Edge during the warm-up match against Austria on Sunday. Photo/Getty Images

The largest international sporting event New Zealand has ever hosted is just three days away from kick-off.

The Fifa U-20 World Cup will broadcast to more than 100 countries with an estimated global television audience of 170 million.

The tournament has been the launching pad of some of the game's all-time greats such as Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Marco van Basten, Kaka, Michael Owen, Ronaldinho and Cesc Fabregas.

Interest in the U-20 World Cup is intensifying with more than 20,000 tickets already sold for Saturday's opening game between New Zealand and Ukraine at North Harbour Stadium.

Papamoa's Jesse Edge is in the New Zealand squad.

The defender/holding midfielder, who plies his trade in Italy with Series B promotion contenders Vicenza Calcio, is excited about the games to come.

"Our training and our warm-up games have made us all feel pretty prepared and ready for the first game," Edge said. "We were [welcomed] on to a marae (this week) which was very special for me because I am part-Maori so to connect back with my roots was special.

"There is a very good atmosphere around the team and the hotel. All the boys are very tight. We are feeling very confident about getting a result in that first game."

Edge has been a consistent starter in Daren Bazeley's team in this month's warm-up games, playing across the back four positions in partnership with team captain Bill Tuiloma.

"This is my third World Cup involved with Bill. He is a good leader and his experience with Olympique Marseille and being an All White helps us all. He is someone to look up to and is a good role model," Edge said.

Edge and his teammates have not spent much time analysing their Ukraine opponents for Saturday's opener but know they are strong at set pieces.

"We have got some videos coming up in the next few days about the Ukraine style and how we can play to our strengths and their weaknesses and learn how we can go about beating them.

"Set pieces are important for us as well. We have a big team so that area will be an important part of the game."