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Countdown to FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 Final: Six months to go
As football fever continues to grip the country, today, 28th April 2017, marks six months to go until the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, the first FIFA final India will ever host. On 28th October 2017, the two finalists of the competition will take the pitch at Kolkata’s iconic Vivekananda Yuva Bhartiya Krirangan.
Tournament Director of the Local Organising Committee, Javier Ceppi said, “In six months’ time there will be a new world champion. We cannot stress enough how relevant this is for football in India and around the planet. There are already 11 teams qualified and all of them promise to put on a fantastic show. We are really looking forward to seeing which would be the two that will make it to the final in Kolkata.
Key Facts about the Salt Lake Stadium:
- Current seating capacity: 88,000
- Record attendance: 1,31,781 (Federation Cup, 1997. East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan)
- First international game: India 1 – 2 Poland. January 11, 1984. Nehru Cup
- Biggest win (India): India 5 – 0 Maldives. November 23, 1987. SAF Games
- Home to the biggest Indian club football rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal
- The stadium has hosted some of the biggest names in the global footballing world such as Lionel Messi and Oliver Kahn
It is a huge responsibility for Kolkata as the whole world will be watching. Everything must go as per plan in following all the international standards that a FIFA tournament brings in to place. We are working with the state of West Bengal that everything is run as per the FIFA protocol and that we can have a fantastic final.”
Elaborating on the same, Project Director of the Local Organising Committee Joy Bhattacharjya added, “I have seen 130000 people pack the stadium and there are very few places in the world which can replicate the atmosphere that the venue manages to create on such occasions. I can promise that the World Cup Final experience there would be unbelievable too.”
India is now less than 200 days away from hosting some of the best young football players in the world. The FIFA U-17 World Cup is widely regarded as the breeding ground for future talent. The likes of Ronaldinho, Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti and Neymar are just some of the players that have taken part in their country’s U-17 sides in the history of the competition. FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 provides a massive opportunity for Indians to see the next wave of football superstars in action.
Tickets for FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 will go live on 16th May at exactly 19:11 hrs, paying tribute to the year in which Indian football made history. It was the first time that an Indian football team, Mohun Bagan AC, won the IFA shield by defeating an English team (East Yorkshire Regiment).
The tournament kicks off on October 6th.
