The South American Youth Football Championship, also known as U-20 South American Championship and es, Torneo Juventudes de América, "Campeonato Sudamericano Sub 20" or pt, Juventude da América (English: "America's Youth") is a South American
football tournament organized by the
CONMEBOL for South American national teams of men under age of 20. This tournament also serves as qualification for the
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members’ men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when ...
.
History
The first South American Youth Championship was hosted by
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...
in 1954. Initially played as an under-19 tournament, it became an under-20 event from 1977. Brazil has won the tournament on the most occasions (11 times).
[
]
Format
All matches take place in the host country, and all ten U-20 national football teams of CONMEBOL compete in every edition (if none of the associations withdraw). They are separated in two groups of five, and each team plays four matches in a pure round-robin stage. The three top competitors advance to a single final group of six, wherein each team plays five matches. The results in this last pure round-robin stage determines the champion and the South American qualification to the next FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members’ men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when ...
. Unlike most international tournaments, in South American Youth Championships there is neither final match nor third place match nor knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
stages.
Results
Performances by countries
Top goalscorers
Source: RSSSF.[
]
Men's U-20 World Cup Qualifiers
;Legend
*1st – Champions
*2nd – Runners-up
*3rd – Third place
*4th – Fourth place
*QF – Quarterfinals
*R2 – Round 2
*R1 – Round 1
* – Hosts
*q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
See also
* South American U-17 Championship
* South American U-15 Championship
References
External links
*
{{International football
Under-20 association football
CONMEBOL competitions
Football qualification for the Summer Olympics
Recurring sporting events established in 1954
1954 establishments in South America
South American youth sports competitions