With Yang Yang's stunning hat-trick, China defeated Argentina 3–2 in the final of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship held in the Netherlands.
It was a moment that shook the world of football.
For the first time in history, Chinese football had claimed a world title. It was also the first time an Asian nation had ever won the FIFA World Youth Championship. The result sent shockwaves through international media and ignited celebrations across Asia.
No one had predicted this.
Before the tournament began, major European bookmakers had ranked China dead last among the 24 participating teams—even behind Panama, a tournament debutant. Only after Yang Yang's late addition to the final squad did China's odds begin to climb, but even then, they were still considered rank outsiders, barely cracking the top fifteen.
A flawless group stage followed, but few believed they could go further. After all, waiting ahead were powerhouses like Germany, Spain, Brazil, and ultimately Argentina.
Luck might win you one match. Two at most. But four consecutive knockout victories? That wasn't luck. That was a miracle.
From Denmark's fairy tale at Euro 1992, to Greece's triumph at Euro 2004, and now China's run at the 2005 World Youth Championship, this was a new chapter in the book of legendary underdog triumphs.
The FIFA official website published its match report immediately after the final whistle, along with post-match interviews from both head coaches.
Eckhard Krautzun, head coach of China, stated:
"The victory belongs to the whole team. Yang Yang played at an extraordinary level—he was our number one hero, the soul of our tactics—but this title does not belong to any single player. It belongs to every one of us."
Francisco Ferraro, head coach of Argentina, was gracious in defeat:
"Losing in this way is hard to accept, but the Chinese team deserved their win. They were more resilient. Yang Yang was exceptional. He scored three magnificent goals, each of which changed the flow of the game. We did all we could to stop him, but tonight, he was unstoppable."
FIFA concluded its report with the words:
"This victory belongs to China—and to Chinese football. Yang Yang was the brightest star of this World Youth Championship. With ten goals and a masterclass in the final, he claimed the Golden Boot and Golden Ball, becoming only the third player in tournament history to win all three major honors."
🇫🇷 Agence France-Presse (AFP)
"China has authored one of the greatest underdog stories in modern football. Yang Yang, Ajax's 18-year-old sensation, delivered a hat-trick on the biggest stage, sealing the nation's first ever world title. He leaves this tournament not just as a champion, but as the face of a new footballing era."
🇺🇸 Associated Press (AP)
"For the first time in history, China has won the FIFA World Youth Championship. Yang Yang, the teenager from Ajax, was the architect of this triumph. With ten goals, the Golden Boot, and the Golden Ball, he has become the tournament's undisputed icon — and perhaps the most exciting prospect since Ronaldo."
Olé (Buenos Aires)
"Argentina controlled possession, but China took the trophy. That's football. Yang Yang punished us with a hat-trick that no one could stop. Credit to the Chinese team for finishing what they started."
Clarín offered a more reserved reflection:
"Yang Yang has made history. But he should be wary — history is not always kind to breakout stars.
In 1983, Brazil's Geovani Silva won the same three awards. He moved to Europe six years later, faded, and returned home with little legacy.
Javier Saviola did it in 2001 and joined Barcelona for a high fee. But after early promise, his career stalled. He's now on loan at Sevilla after an unconvincing stint at Monaco."
"Talent is never enough. Yang Yang will need more than brilliance — he'll need consistency, discipline, and the right choices."
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Compared to the cautious warnings coming from the Argentine press, the European media reacted with overwhelming praise. Yang Yang's name was everywhere.
In just two years, he had gone from a talented unknown to the most talked-about young player on the continent. Champions League winner in 2004 as a teenage super-sub. Scorer of the winning goal in the final. UEFA Cup champion. UEFA Cup Best Player. Eredivisie Golden Boot winner — and the youngest ever to do so. European Golden Boy. And now, the undisputed star of the FIFA World Youth Championship.
The weight of his growing legacy was already enormous. And yet, according to most European outlets, he had handled it all with frightening ease.
Following the final, a journalist from the De Telegraaf caught up with one of Dutch football's most respected figures, former PSV Eindhoven super scout Piet de Visser. Now employed by Chelsea, de Visser had traveled to Utrecht to watch the final in person.
"I've been tracking Yang Yang since two years ago," he told the press. "Back when I was still at PSV, we were in contact with him. We tried very hard to sign him — we knew he was special. But Ajax had Van Basten at the time, and that swayed him."
De Visser didn't sound bitter. Just honest. "Since then, I've followed his development closely. His progress has been astonishing — I think he's been first-team ready in any of the top four leagues for at least a year."
He then revealed, quite openly, that José Mourinho had personally asked for his assessment before the final.
"Before I flew here, José told me he wanted a final word on Yang Yang. I told him — there's nothing left to inspect. Sign him. He's completely different from other players. He's going to become a phenomenon."
And de Visser wasn't alone in his belief. The final had drawn scouts and technical directors from all over Europe — each one with Yang Yang circled in their notebooks, their agendas, and their budgets.
The Spanish newspaper AS reported shortly after the match that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had already received a full technical report from the club's scouting department and was planning to move quickly.
According to their story, Real Madrid was willing to pay over €40 million for Yang Yang — a fee that would not only dwarf the €25 million they paid for Robinho, but also surpass the transfer fees received for Zlatan Ibrahimović and Rafael van der Vaart, making Yang Yang the most expensive sale in Ajax history.
Meanwhile, in England, The Sun reported that Chelsea had formally contacted Ajax regarding a transfer fee. Their owner Roman Abramovich was said to be "fully committed" to bringing Yang Yang to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
The article claimed that Mourinho had given his full approval, and that Dutch winger Arjen Robben — already one of Chelsea's brightest stars — had personally welcomed the idea of Yang Yang joining the squad.
"He's electric," Robben reportedly told the British media. "If he comes here, we'll be unstoppable on both wings."
Liverpool was also rumored to be in the race. Manager Rafael Benítez, fresh off winning the Champions League with a miraculous comeback against Milan, had reportedly requested the club move for Yang Yang as a priority signing to sharpen their front line.
But there was a problem: money.
Unlike Chelsea, Liverpool didn't have a bottomless transfer budget. According to the Sun, the Liverpool board had made it clear that funds would only be made available after selling current squad members, and time was running short in the market.
Still, interest was real.
Finally, The Sun also reported that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was monitoring the situation closely. Ferguson, they said, envisioned a future forward line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Yang Yang — a trio he believed could lead United back to the summit of European football.
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While European media buzzed over Yang Yang's future and the feverish transfer speculation unfolding around him, back in China, the atmosphere was one of pure national jubilation.
The final in the Netherlands had been scheduled at noon local time — the perfect evening prime-time slot in China. Within minutes of the final whistle, news of the 3–2 victory over Argentina had swept across every corner of the country.
The Chinese National Youth Team returned home almost immediately after the final, and the reception that awaited them was unlike anything the country had seen for football.
At Beijing Capital International Airport, thousands of fans packed every terminal gate, waving banners, chanting players' names, and welcoming the world champions home. National television broadcast their return live. Newspapers across the country printed special editions. Schools paused their lessons to let students watch the footage. It was a celebration that reached beyond sport — it felt like history.
But one face was missing.
Actually, two.
Yang Yang, the team's unmatched hero, and Gao Lin, who was preparing to leave for a training program with AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, were not among the triumphant group.
For fans, their absence left a note of regret amid the euphoria — though it did little to dim the glory of the moment.
As the celebrations roared on at home, the conversation quickly shifted from past triumph to future potential.
In media columns, radio shows, and online forums, the same question echoed nationwide: what happens now?
For years, Chinese football had lagged behind. But this tournament — this title — had proven that the talent was real. That Chinese players could compete. That the right investment, the right environment, and the right opportunities could produce results on the world stage.
Now, the pressure was on to act.
Journalists, fans, and football professionals called publicly for urgent reform. If the National Youth Team players were going to reach their full potential, they needed to leave behind the outdated systems at home and pursue elite-level training abroad.
And Europe was ready to welcome them.
Riding the momentum of the tournament, several European clubs — especially those based in the Netherlands — had already sent scouts and representatives to China. They weren't just watching Yang Yang anymore. They were now paying close attention to the teammates who had fought beside him — players shaped in China, whose performance proved that the country's youth talent pool was far more promising than the world once believed.
This was more than a single tournament victory.
It felt like a turning point. A new beginning. A symbolic shift in the global perception of Chinese football.
For the first time in decades, people across the country — fans, players, coaches, and even skeptics — began to believe that the future of Chinese football might finally be here.
A golden generation had just announced itself to the world.
Now, the world was watching to see what China would do next.
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