What will happen to the Under 17 World Cup? Five answers to understand if there are still chances that it will be played in Peru

1. What really happened to the organization of the 2023 Under 17 World Cup?

Basically the FPF received information that the Central Government had decided to prioritize other emergencies in the country – the El Niño Phenomenon, the flooding of the rivers, the mudslides in up to four regions of the country – and would not continue with the organization of the World Cup. This triggered emergency meetings from Monday night with all the members of the multisectoral working group proposed for the competition -PCM, Ministry of the Interior, Defense, Foreign Ministry, Economy and Finance, Mincetur-, until a way out was found.

The FPF does not want to lose the headquarters of the Sub 17 World Cup, but it has reformulated the plan regarding the venues. Logistically, another is the drama: information handled by DT indicates that, scheduled to start in January 2023 and with -as communicated a few weeks ago by the president of Legado, Álvaro Castro-, no conditioning and remodeling work is in process. None. It is foreseeable: in Peru it is easier for a cyclone to arrive before a track begins.

2. Is this the first time this tournament has been cancelled?

No. Although the correct word is “postponed”. The Peruvian Football Federation was notified, at the end of November 2020, that the Under 17 World Cup planned for the following year was going to be postponed, due to the global pandemic caused by the Coronavirus. It was not the only one: the U20 World Cup that was going to take place in Indonesia was also postponed by FIFA, the highest soccer entity in the world, for the year 2023.

3. What is the position of the FPF in the last hours?

At first, out of concern. And urgently: no one in FPF wants Peru to lose the venue for the Under 17 World Cup and to understand the reason, it would be necessary to explain the importance of a tournament of this category and who it includes. First, to FIFA, which designates the venue for the championship and thus raises the standards of a national federation, in terms of organization, competition and logistics. Second, because the IPD and the FPF receive a state budget for infrastructure that, in any other case, would be impossible to imagine, and then they inherit for the development of their sports. Here comes Legado, the person in charge of the administration of the properties, who until the closing of this note, has not spoken. And third, to the Government, which mobilizes its efforts that cross from the Ministry of Education to the Mincetur, given the magnitude of a World Cup.

Having said that, and although it sounds unpopular, when the FPF loses the organization of a world tournament, it is not only Agustín Lozano who loses: the country loses football. What has been decided from Videna in the last hours? First, reactivate communication with the Central Government, through the PCM, to find an alternative that is, in any case, the execution of part of the works, as soon as possible. Second, communicate with FIFA -which has not made any official position on the matter at this time- about the real possibilities that the Under 17 World Cup will take place in Peru in November.

4. What is the FPF’s emergency plan?

The FPF will explain today, in a meeting with all the parties involved in the State, the plan it proposes: 1) That, given the collapse of roads and the destruction of entire towns due to the rains in the north, the money budgeted for the works there is used for what is truly urgent, that is, for its reconstruction. 2) That, given the rush and lack of time, Lima is the main and only venue for the Under 17 World Cup, using alternative stadiums to the National one -the University of San Marcos, the Marathon Monumental U, the Miguel Grau del Callao-. 3) That, once this commitment has been accepted by the parties -PCM, ministries- the Under 17 team should carry out and sign, as soon as possible, a letter of guarantee that can be submitted to FIFA today or tomorrow. From there, the long approval process begins: from Zurich, they evaluate the idea and give the final ok. It is not ruled out that, with Agustín Lozano traveling with the team in Europe, he could go to the FIFA headquarters.

5. Is there a willingness on all sides?

FPF has communicated with the PCM environment and has received a first approval, with the charge that the feasibility of the works can be evaluated. The great theme to unlock is here. Then, FIFA awaits the new letter of guarantee signed by the Peruvian State and, within a maximum period of one week, decides whether to approve it or not.

Meanwhile, the team led by Pablo Zegarra trains and is ready for the South American of the category, which starts on the 28th in Ecuador. And it is not clear if all this uncertain climate is the consequence of an inoperative arm, which does not work, or if the entire country -soccer fan or not- is surrendered to the incapacity of its authorities. The photo of Peru every day may be the answer.