Arsenal-bound 16yo makes u17 World Cup debut | OneFootball

Future Arsenal signing Victor Ozhianvuna made his first appearance at the u17 World Cup on Wednesday, playing for the Republic of Ireland.

Photo via Arsenal.com

16-year-old Shamrock Rovers midfielder Victor Ozhianvuna is currently away at the u17 World Cup with the Republic of Ireland, and the player made his debut in the competition against Panama on Wednesday.

Ozhianvuna came on in the 63rd minute of Ireland’s 4-1 win, replacing Max Kovaleskis as a substitute.

The youngster completed all five of his attempted passes, won one tackle, and made one interception in his cameo on the pitch, with Ireland shooting to the top of Group J with the win.

Photo via Shamrock Rovers on Instagram

Uzbekistan beat Paraguay 2-1 in the other group match, so the next game between the Republic of Ireland and Uzbekistan on November 8th could be vital in determining the eventual group winner.

Ireland will then face Paraguay on November 11th in their final group game, with the top-two teams from each group guaranteed progression to the knockout stages and a good chance at qualifying even in third position.

Ozhianvuna will hope for more minutes as the tournament progresses.

Photo via Arsenal.com

As mentioned, Ozhianvuna is a future Arsenal player, with the club officially confirming his move in October. But the Gunners added that the transfer won’t actually take place until January 2027.

Given Ozhianvuna is just 16 years old and an EU citizen, he’s ineligible to officially join up with Arsenal until he’s 18, a little over a year from now. In the meantime, he’ll continue to play his club football for Shamrock Rovers.