Editorial: Under-20 World Cup treat for football fans

Fifa Under-20 World Cup fans Harry, 6, and George Walker, 8. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Opinion

Timing of Fifa corruption scandal will do nothing to diminish spectacle - especially if NZ do well.

Those who decided to schedule football's Under-20 World Cup here in May-June had every reason to think they had got the timing right.

With the excitement of the Cricket World Cup a fading memory, an appropriate stage would be set for the future superstars of the world game.

That theory has, of course, been torpedoed by the Fifa corruption scandal. But if events in Zurich have drawn attention away from the tournament, they provide no reason to belittle the treat in store for New Zealand sports fans over the next three weeks.

This is football's second most prestigious event. This is underlined by the fact that its 52 games are expected to be watched by 170 million television viewers across 100 countries.

The standard of play is guaranteed to be exceptionally high. How could it be otherwise when no team from Britain was able to qualify, and traditional powerhouses such as Spain, Italy and France also missed out?

The public got right behind the Under-17 World Cup when it was held here in 1999. It helped that the New Zealand team performed well.

A similar enthusiasm will quickly become evident if the Junior All Whites start well today against Ukraine at Albany. The team, boasting names like Rufer, Edge and de Jong, face a tussle to qualify for the knockout stages. The United States and Myanmar also stand in their way. Whatever their fate, this is an event to be relished by any follower of sport.