FIFA postpones U-20 and U-17 World Cup tourneys to 2023

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Always cautious with the players’ health and in particular their COVID-19 protocols, FIFA decided to postpone the Under-20 and the Under-17 World Cup tournaments.

FIFA announced that the U-20 World Cup event in Indonesia will no longer push through as well as the U-17 in Peru due to COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for the hosting of international sporting events and to have a restrictive effect on international travel,” wrote FIFA on their website.

Previously, FIFA has always been strict when dealing with their COVID-19 measures and canceled a couple of tournaments after imposing stricter rules as coronavirus cases increased.

“The global situation has failed to normalize to a sufficient level to address the challenges associated with hosting both tournaments, including the feasibility of the relevant qualification pathways,” continued their statement.

With the cancelation of FIFA’s two major events, the organizers and the host countries are looking forward to a better and smoother format once the COVID-19 situation relaxes.

Joining the U-20 and the U-17 events that got canceled are Euro 2020, the Copa America, and the Africa Cup of Nations.