The 23rd edition of the U-20 World Cup, a men’s youth football championship for under-20 national teams, is taking place in 2023. This tournament has been held biennially since 1977, originally known as the FIFA World Youth Championship.
Initially, Indonesia was supposed to host the 2021 edition of the tournament. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Indonesia’s refusal to host Israel, FIFA canceled the event and revoked their hosting rights. Subsequently, Argentina was officially announced as the new host.
Unfortunately, the host country was eliminated in the Round of 16. Argentina, a Brazil, a five-time winner, also got knocked out in the quarterfinals. Ukraine, the reigning champions, couldn’t defend their title as they failed to qualify. Consequently, the 2023 event will have a first-time winner for the third consecutive time.
Do the medals for the FIFA U-20 World Cup winners really consist of pure gold?
Despite popular belief, any FIFA World Cup champions’ medals are not composed of solid gold. They are crafted from a metal alloy consisting of variable percentages of gold, silver, and bronze, with each edition of the World Cup having its own unique alloy.
FIFA claims that the 18-karat gold and sterling silver used in the medals are both 75% pure. Medals are made of an alloy of copper and tin rather than pure bronze. Although the exact ratios of copper to tin in the alloy might vary, the metals usually make up anywhere between 90 and 10 percent of the total. To give the medals their distinctive golden sheen, a tiny coating of 24-karat gold is applied to their surfaces.
In conclusion, the FIFA U-20 World Cup medals are not constructed entirely of gold, but rather of a combination of gold, silver, and bronze; the gold is 18 carat (75% pure) and the silver is sterling (92.5% pure).