1977 FIFA World Youth Championship

The 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship was the inaugural staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship and was held in Tunisia from 27 June to 10 July 1977. The tournament took place in three venues — Tunis, Sousse and Sfax — where a total of 28 matches were played, the smallest number in its history. The winner was the USSR, who beat Mexico in a penalty shootout, in the final held at Tunis's Stade El Menzah.

1977 FIFA World Youth Championship
بطولة العالم للشباب لكرة القدم 1977
Tournament details
Host country Tunisia
Dates27 June – 10 July
Teams16 (from 5 confederations)
Venue(s)(in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions USSR (1st title)
Runner-up Mexico
Third place Brazil
Fourth place Uruguay
Tournament statistics
Matches played28
Goals scored70 (2.5 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Guina (4 goals)
Best playerSoviet Union Vladimir Bessonov
1979

The Tournament Committee was chaired by FIFA Vice-President Harry Cavan, who had spearheaded the creation of the World Youth Championship.

Qualification

Confederation Qualifying Tournament Qualifier(s)
AFC (Asia) 1977 AFC Youth Championship   Iran
  Iraq
CAF (Africa) Host nation [[File:{{{flag alias-1959}}}|22x20px|border |alt=|link=]] Tunisia
1977 African Youth Qualifying for World Cup   Côte d'Ivoire
  Morocco
CONCACAF
(North, Central America & Caribbean)
1976 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament   Honduras
  Mexico
CONMEBOL (South America) 1977 South American Youth Championship   Brazil
  Paraguay
  Uruguay
UEFA (Europe) 1976 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship   Austria
  France
  Hungary
  Italy
  USSR
  Spain

Squads

For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 1977 FIFA World Youth Championship squads

Venues

Tunis
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Tunis
Stade El Menzah Stade Chedly Zouiten
   
Capacity: 45,000 Capacity: 18,000
Sousse Sfax
Stade Olympique de Sousse Stade Ameur El-Gargouri
   
Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 4,000

Group stage

The group winners advanced directly to the semifinals.

Final

10 July 1977
18:30
Mexico   2 – 2 (aet)
(8-9 pen.)
  USSR Stade El Menzah, Tunis
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Michel Vautrot (France)
Garduno   50'
Manzo   58'
Bessonov   43, 54'