The most important tournament for young players will start in Argentina on May 20. It was supposed to be held by Indonesia, but they lost that privilege for political reasons. There are plenty of talented pieces in the home team, although they won’t have Facundo Buonanotte.

The Argentinians are probably the most traditional team in the competition. They are the country with the most titles thanks to the long list of megastars they had. Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, and Angel Di Maria are just a few examples.

Their participation in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup had a ton of luck since they actually didn’t qualify for it. The poor performance in the South American Championship left them out in the first round. However, being named as the emergency hosts gave them a spot in the draw.

Why did Facundo Buonanotte miss the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup?

Something that goes against the competition is the timing. Considering clubs aren’t forced to give away their players to the national teams like it happens with the seniors, there is usually a confrontation between managers and Federations when it comes to talented players because the season isn’t over.

Facundo Buonanotte is not playing for Argentina at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup because Brighton didn’t give him permission to do so. The English club is currently sixth in the Premier League, so they are fighting for important goals. There was confusion because he was expected to play, but the 18-year-old midfielder clarified the situation in an interview with Telenoche Rosario.

“Brighton told me that I could go. The club contacted the national team, they wanted me to get there when the tournament was already started. But that couldn’t be done, it’s not normal. I had to be with the squad beforehand to be able to practice with the group, participate in the meetings. Argentina did not accept that I joined later and obviously I understand it”, Buonanotte said.