As the domestic club seasons come to a close across the world, players are turning their focus towards representing their country in international matches. The World Cups for 3 different categories are soon approaching and so there have been a string of matches in the build-up to these tournaments.
U-17
The U-17 World Cup starts on 13th November in Uruguay and some teams are still battling it out to qualify. The U-17 CONCACAF Championship, which will decide which 3 teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean qualify for the World Cup, is just coming to an end. The 3rd palce play-off is between Canada and Haiti, whilst the final is between Mexico and the USA. The current holders of the U-17 World Cup title are the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), will they be able to hold on to the title this year?
U-20
The U-20 World Cup will take place in France on 5th August and the holders of this title are also the DPRK. The tournament boasts a number of strong teams including the USA, Germany, England and France who will all be trying to knock the DPRK off the top spot. Notably Canada is missing from the competition after failing to qualify through the CONCACAF Championship.
Women's World Cup
Then in 2019 comes the Women's World Cup to be held in France. The race is on across the world to qualify for the pinnacle of international football. Asia, Europe and South America all already have a number of teams that have qualified including Brazil, Italy, Spain, Japan, China and Australia. Tournaments in Africa, North, Central America and the Caribbean and Oceania will take place towards the end of 2018. All eyes will be on 2015 winners the USA as they start their qualifying campaign in October. It's going to be an exciting few months for women's international football!
