With help from Flamengo player, Mexico book place at U-20 World Cup | OneFootball

Diego Reyes, of Flamengo, helped Mexico qualify for the U-20 World Cup

The last senior World Cup showed just how international Flamengo’s squad is, with players from several countries in the tournament. The same could happen at youth level. Last Wednesday (05), Diego Reyes, from Mengão’s U-20 team, helped Mexico qualify for the World Cup in the category.

Reyes is with the national team competing in the Concacaf U-20 Championship, which sends the top four teams to the U-20 World Cup. The Rubro-Negro side secured a semifinal spot — and, as a result, qualification for the World Cup — by beating Panama 4-0.

Now Reyes’ Mexico will go after the title. This Friday (07), the team faces Canada in one of the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Costa Rica takes on the United States. The Rubro-Negro player’s match kicks off at 11 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, the host country of the competition.

HOW MANY MINUTES HAS REYES PLAYED IN THE TOURNAMENT?

The Flamengo player is a substitute for Mexico, but he has come on in every match of the competition. In the opener, against Antigua & Barbuda, Reyes came on in the 29th minute of the second half. Later, in the clash against Costa Rica, the Rubro-Negro player was brought on four minutes into the final half.

Against Guatemala, Reyes came on in the 17th minute of the second half. Finally, against Panama, the youngster stepped onto the field in the 20th minute of the second half. It is worth noting that Mexico won all of its matches, scoring 13 goals and conceding none. However, the Mengão player has not yet been involved in any of the goals.

WHO IS DIEGO REYES?

Diego Reyes joined Flamengo in March this year, on loan from Club América of Mexico. The deal runs until December 2026. Before traveling for the tournament, the forward was a substitute for the Rubro-Negro team and was even sent off in a derby against Vasco in April.

WHEN WILL THE U-20 WORLD CUP TAKE PLACE?

On social media, Diego Reyes did not hide his joy at helping Mexico qualify for the World Cup. “We’re going to the World Cup! Thank you, God. I love you.” Now, the young player dreams of being called up for the tournament, which will take place in May 2027 in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

If he does go to the World Cup, Diego Reyes could run into old Flamengo acquaintances. After all, Brazil’s U-20 national team called up goalkeeper Léo Nannetti and center back João Victor for friendlies this August. However, Brazil still needs to secure its place at the World Cup through the South American Championship, which takes place in January next year.

SO WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION, AFTER ALL?

— Diego Reyes is still adapting to Brazilian football. It’s not easy; the reality in Mexico is completely different. On top of that, he is competing for a spot with Josmar, who has been doing very well for the U-20 team. Let’s see whether the Mexican youngster can stand out in the Campeonato Carioca, which begins this Saturday (08) for Flamengo’s U-20 side — said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.