Italy beats Brazil on penalties and wins third place in the 2025 U17 World Cup By Thiago Lemos
3 min read
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The Seleção Brasileira under-17 ended its participation in the category’s Mundial this Thursday (27), in Doha, in the Catar. The team lost the fight for third place to Itália 4-2 on penalties, after a goalless draw in normal time. The match was marked by the early expulsion of defender Vitor Fernandes, from Atlético-MG, 12 minutes into the first half.
Brasil reached the bronze medal undefeated, with two wins and six draws in eight games. Apesar of the campaign without defeats in regulation time, the team fell twice in a row on penalties: first to Portugal in the semi-final and now to Itália. Goalkeeper João Pedro, from Santos, once again stood out with important saves.
Itália controlled the actions during almost the entire match and ended with 68% possession of the ball and 20 shots compared to just five from Brasil.
Expulsion changes the scenario of the match
The decisive move of the first half came in the 12th minute. Vitor Fernandes received the second yellow card and left Brasil with one player less.
The Brazilian team retreated and prioritized defense. Itália began to dominate the midfield and created the main chances until half-time.
Italian dominance in the second half
The final stage continued with the superiority of Itália. The European team maintained high ball possession and constantly pressed.
Brasil had a goal disallowed in the 16th minute. Dell, from
The Brazilian team only achieved isolated actions. João Pedro made four difficult saves and avoided a more elastic score.
Penalty kick details
In the penalty shootout, Itália converted four of the five penalties. Vincenzo Prisco, Simone Lontani, Jean Mambuku and Alessio Baralla got it right.
By Brasil, Dell and Tiaguinho scored. João Pedro defended Andrea Luongo’s charge.
Italian goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni caught shots from Luiz Pacheco, from Palmeiras, and Luiz Eduardo, from Grêmio. The result guaranteed third place to Itália.
Brazilian campaign numbers
Brasil played eight matches in the tournament held at Catar.
- Two wins (group stage)
- Six draws (including knockout)
- Zero defeats in 90 minutes
- Four decisions decided on penalties
The team advanced undefeated until the semifinals. Superou Paraguai and França on penalties before eliminations for Portugal and Itália.
Individual tournament highlights
João Pedro, from Santos, finished as one of the main goalkeepers in the competition. The archer made decisive interventions in several games.
Dell, from Bahia, scored five goals before the disallowed bid against Itália. The striker was the Brazilian top scorer in the Mundial.
Other players like Ruan Pablo, from Bahia, and Tiaguinho, from Grêmio, also appeared well during the campaign.
Trajectory from Itália to bronze
The Italian team reached the dispute for third place after elimination in the semi-final. The team demonstrated tactical organization throughout the tournament.
In the game against Brasil, they exploited their numerical superiority well. The Italian defense suffered few Brazilian shots.
The bronze represents Itália’s first medal in the Mundial Sub-17 since 2019. The team finished the championship with a good record in the knockout stage.
