Barcelona set to have two officials present at U17 FIFA World Cup – report | OneFootball

As reported by SPORT, it has come to light that Barcelona’s head of scouting, Joao Amaral, is preparing to travel to Qatar to keep a close eye on the U17 FIFA World Cup – a tournament that has become a goldmine for spotting the next generation of football superstars.

Set to begin on November 3rd and continue until the 27th, the competition will bring together 48 national teams for its 40th edition. 

For Barcelona, this is not just another youth tournament; it is going to be a vital part of their broader scouting strategy.

This will allow them to identify early talent and track the progress of young players already being monitored by the club’s technical staff.

Important tournament for Barcelona

This year, the Blaugrana are taking their scouting operation a step further. 

Two representatives will travel to Qatar, including Joao Amaral, who has been leading the club’s scouting department since the start of the season. 

FIFA U17 World Cup will be very important for Barcelona. (Photo by Pedro Vilela – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Amaral’s presence underlines how much importance Barça are placing on this competition, especially after his previous success at the U20 World Cup in Chile, where he managed to flag several rising stars. 

Among them was Gilberto Mora of Mexico, a player who has since attracted attention not only from Barcelona but also from Real Madrid and several Premier League sides.

A literal goldmine

The Catalan club view the U17 World Cup as an ideal setting to discover players who could one day make the leap to elite football. 

Historically, the tournament has unearthed global icons such as Neymar, Phil Foden, Casemiro, Victor Osimhen, Toni Kroos and even current Barcelona prodigies Pau Cubarsi and Marc Bernal.

With Amaral spearheading the scouting mission, Barcelona hope to continue their tradition of unearthing generational talents. 

The club’s objective is to stay one step ahead of Europe’s biggest teams in identifying the brightest young players who can embody the Blaugrana philosophy and form the backbone of the club’s future.