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Austria’s fairytale run at the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup will culminate in a historic World Cup final on Thursday, and Nigeria will have a stake in the occasion, footynaija.com reports.
The Austrians secured their place with a clinical 2–0 win over Italy at the Khalifa International Stadium, becoming the first Austrian team at any level to reach a World Cup final.
The European side, who are enjoying a breakout tournament in Qatar, will now contest their first-ever World Cup final at any age level.
Nigeria’s interest in the match extends well beyond the team’s historic achievement. Highly rated centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe, born to Nigerian parents, is expected to return to the squad for the championship match after missing the semi-final due to suspension. The defender has been one of Austria’s standout performers, anchoring a back line that has kept six clean sheets in seven matches.
But as the final approaches, the spotlight has shifted towards another rising star: Johannes Moser.
The Red Bull Salzburg forward scored twice against Italy, lifting his total to eight goals in the competition. Aside from the group-stage match against New Zealand, the teenager has found the net in every game he has played in Qatar.
Moser now stands just two goals away from equalling Victor Osimhen’s long-standing record of ten goals in a single U17 World Cup, set during Nigeria’s triumphant campaign in Chile in 2015. A hat-trick would see him surpass the Super Eagles striker outright.
Only two players, England’s Phil Foden and Spain’s Sergio Gómez, have ever scored more than once in a U17 World Cup final, which underscores the difficulty of the task ahead.
