The USMNT opened the 2025 U-20 World Cup in Chile with a statement, routing New Caledonia 9-1 in their Group Stage debut. It was a showcase of emerging talent looking to earn a place in the senior squad in the coming years. With such a dominant result, it naturally raises the question: what is the biggest win in U-20 World Cup history?
The gap between the two sides was clear from the opening whistle. Benjamin Cremaschi scored less than two minutes in, and the US were up 3-0 inside seven minutes. By halftime at the Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, the scoreline read 7-0, setting the stage for what could have been a record-breaking performance.
In the second half, head coach Marko Mitrović’s side eased off the pace, adding just two more goals while New Caledonia grabbed a consolation strike through Antoine Simane in the 70th minute. Still, Cremaschi capped the night with a hat trick and two assists, headlining one of the best team displays the tournament has seen.
What is the biggest win in the U-20 World Cup?
The 2025 U-20 World Cup in Chile is the 24th edition of the tournament, first staged in 1977. Over the decades, hundreds of matches have been played, producing some historic scorelines. With their 9-1 thrashing of New Caledonia, the USMNT added their name to the list of biggest wins in tournament history, though it wasn’t enough to claim the top spot.
The largest margin in U-20 World Cup history came in 2019, when Norway dismantled Honduras 12-0 in Poland. That match is also remembered as Erling Haaland’s international breakout, with the striker scoring an astonishing nine goals.
Other lopsided scorelines have come in just two other editions. In Malaysia 1997, Brazil delivered a 10-0 win over Belgium and later a 10-3 victory against South Korea. In Egypt 2009, Tahiti were on the wrong end of back-to-back 8-0 defeats, first against Spain and then against Venezuela.
Leading 7-0 at halftime, the US looked on track to challenge those records. In the end, the 9-1 scoreline wasn’t historic enough to break into the very top tier, but it did cement their place among the most dominant wins in U-20 World Cup history.