US U-20 Soccer Claims Group E Lead Despite South Africa Loss at FIFA World Cup Chile

The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team secured first place in Group E at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup despite a 2-1 loss to South Africa in their group-stage finale. Noah Cobb scored an early goal for the U.S., but South Africa equalized through an own goal by American defender Joshua Wynder and took the lead just before halftime with a counterattack goal by Gomolemo Kekana. The U.S. advanced to the Round of 16 due to a superior +10 goal differential, outperforming South Africa (+5) and France (+4), who also finished with six points. Head coach Marko Mitrović made six changes to the starting lineup for the match, with several players making their first tournament starts. The U.S. will face Italy in the Round of 16 in Rancagua, Chile, on October 9. This marks the sixth time the United States has finished top of its group in the U-20 World Cup and the 13th time it has advanced from the group stage overall.