Nigeria will on Wednesday trade tackles with Argentina in a last-16 clash at the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
Two football-mad nations with contrasting styles and identical ambition collide again for what promises to be another blockbuster episode in a rivalry quietly evolving into one of youth football’s most compelling fixtures.
This will be only the third time the Flying Eagles and the Albiceleste have met at this level and the scoreline stands delicately poised at 1–1.
Argentina, kings of flair and finesse, struck first in 2005. Nigeria, Africa’s most decorated youth side, bit back with vengeance in 2023. Now comes the decider, twenty years after their first epic.
2005 Nigeria 1-2 Argentina: Messi’s magic and Eagles's missed moment
The curtain first rose in 2005 in the Netherlands.
A young Lionel Messi – yes, that Lionel Messi – led Argentina’s golden generation to the final against a spirited Nigerian side brimming with belief and talent.
The Albiceleste had stumbled early, losing 1–0 to the United States, but recovered in style with wins over Egypt, Germany, Colombia, Spain, and Brazil.
Nigeria’s story was more of resilience than dominance. Drawn in a ‘group of death' with Brazil, Switzerland, and South Korea, Samson Siasia’s boys (featuring Mikel Obi, Taye Taiwo, and Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke) clawed their way through before dismantling Ukraine, hosts Netherlands, and Morocco en route to the final.
The showdown was gripping. Both teams matched each other stride for stride, but Argentina had Messi, who converted two penalties with icy precision.
Ogbuke's second half header gave Nigeria hope, but the tie ultimately ended 2–1.
For Messi, it was the first of many world titles. For Nigeria, it was heartbreak number two, having lost the 1989 final to Portugal.
Throwback to #U20WC pic.twitter.com/k7YdcMEkFH
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) September 26, 2025
Twenty years later, that game still lingers in Nigerian memory, not just for Messi’s brilliance, but for what might have been had luck tilted differently.
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2023 Nigeria 2-0 Argentina: Flying Eagles strike back in San Juan
Eighteen years after that painful night, destiny brought the two sides together again, this time in Argentina’s backyard. And the Flying Eagles were ready to flip the script.
Ladan Bosso’s squad arrived in Argentina without fanfare but with lots of grit and desire.
The Flying Eagles, finished third in their group, behind Brazil and Italy, sneaking into the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams.
Argentina, meanwhile, were flying. With stars like Alejo Véliz and Luka Romero, they had swept through their group with nine points, scoring ten goals and conceding just once.
Both teams met in a round-of-16 clash inside a packed Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, where the hosts expected another procession. Instead, they got a lesson in Nigerian steel.
After a goalless first half, Ibrahim Beji Muhammad stunned the 27,000-strong crowd with a clinical finish on the hour mark. Argentina launched wave after wave of attacks, but the Flying Eagles refused to bend.
Then, in stoppage time, Rilwan Sarki’s composed strike sealed a 2–0 win, and the ultimate revenge. Argentine fans stood frozen as Nigerian players danced on their turf. It was as sweet as football redemption gets.
Though Nigeria later lost to South Korea in the quarterfinals, that night in San Juan remains one of the country’s proudest youth football moments.
2025 Nigeria vs Argentina: The decider in Chile
Now, two years later, the rivalry resumes. The venue: Chile. The stakes: enormous. The form book? Heavily tilted toward Argentina… again.
Los Cebollitas have been ruthless so far, topping Group D with three wins out of three. They have beaten Cuba (3–1), Australia (4–1), and Italy (1–0), scoring eight goals and conceding just twice.
Their talisman, Alejo Sarco, leads the tournament’s scoring charts with three goals.
And in the dugout is Diego Placente, who himself lifted this trophy as a player in 1997.
Nigeria’s path, in contrast, has been rocky. The Flying Eagles barely squeezed through as one of the best third-placed teams after a chaotic group campaign.
They lost to Norway, scraped past Saudi Arabia 3–2 thanks to a 94th-minute penalty, and drew 1–1 with Colombia via another late spot-kick.
Goals have been hard to come by and mostly from dead balls. Captain Daniel Bameyi has converted two penalties; Tahir Maigana and Sani Suleiman have worked tirelessly, but creativity has been scarce. The Flying Eagles have been wasteful while mother luck has refused to shine her smiles in key moments.
Worse still, Suleiman, the only attacking player with a goal contribution from open play, is suspended for this clash.
It’s a daunting prospect for coach Aliyu Zubairu, who knows he’ll need to summon every ounce of belief from his young side.
But if history has taught Argentina anything, it’s that you underestimate Nigeria at your peril.
The Flying Eagles may lack a Messi or a Riquelme, but they’ve never lacked heart. And with the memory of San Juan still fresh, Argentina’s dominance is no guarantee.
