We explore key scouting insights from one of the top competitions available on Hudl Wyscout’s Youth Pack.
In today’s global football economy, identifying elite potential is more competitive, and more urgent, than ever. Scouts are constantly searching for the next Neymar, Luis Suárez, or Moisés Caicedo - players who first rose to prominence before their 18th birthday. In this landscape, the CONMEBOL Under-17 Sudamericano stands out as a goldmine for forward-thinking clubs: a rare chance to evaluate emerging talent before the market catches up.
While players at U17 level are still maturing, the reality is that by the time they reach the U20s, it’s often too late. The most promising profiles are already signed, priced out, or training abroad. This year’s edition proved no different: Brazil’s Denner and Ecuador’s Justin Lerma - two of the 2025 edition's top talents signed for Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund respectively before the tournament. Early youth scouting is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity.
The Sudamericano U17 offers the first real international test for many South American prospects - an intense, high-pressure setting that reveals far more than highlight reels ever could. Over the past three decades, this tournament has been the launching pad for some of the continent’s biggest stars: Pablo Aimar (1995); Ronaldinho (1997); Carlos Tevez (1999); Alexis Sánchez (2003); Luis Suárez (2003); James Rodríguez (2007); Neymar (2009); Vinícius Jr. (2017) and Moisés Caicedo (2017) to name a few.
But for most recruitment teams, covering a tournament like this in-person is a challenge or a considerable expense. The format is condensed: games are played in quick succession across two cities, with high squad rotation and short recovery windows. Travel costs, scheduling, and visibility issues make traditional scouting approaches inefficient, if not impossible.
That’s why video scouting is essential and why Hudl Wyscout has become the go-to platform for clubs looking to stay ahead, identify and understand talent earlier, and act faster than your competitors.
Though right-footed, Ruan Pablo operated primarily off the left flank, cutting inside to devastating effect but also showing the intelligence to drive wide and deliver. Watching Hudl Wyscout footage highlights his ability to play across the front three and adapt his movements depending on space and opposition structure makes him tactically flexible in a way that suits multiple systems.
Physically, he’s already ahead of the curve too and his tall, athletic frame makes him strong in duels, balanced under pressure, and capable of sustaining high-intensity runs across 90 minutes.
This combination of technical quality and physical readiness is exactly the type of profile top clubs now prioritise earlier in the development cycle. And he’s not alone. From attacking full-backs comfortable inverting into midfield like Chelsea-bound Denner, to midfield orchestrators Zé Lucas and Gustavo Gomes, wide threats such as Kayke, commanding centre-backs like Kauã Prates, and creative playmakers like Felipe de Morais, Brazil’s squad was stacked with players already showing full international-level potential.
Brazil’s continued success at this level confirms what many in recruitment already know: if you’re scouting in South America and not watching Brazil’s U17s, you’re missing the standard-setters.
Chile and Venezuela’s new generations offer fresh value
While Brazil remains the benchmark, the 2025 edition of the Sudamericano U17 also showed just how quickly the balance of talent in South America can shift. Chile and Venezuela may have fallen short in the semifinals, but both fielded highly competitive squads - not only in terms of results, but in the individual quality and long-term development potential of their top prospects.
Chile’s international decline in recent years since their back-to-back Copa América triumphs has largely been based on the end of their previous golden generation. The absence of fresh impetus had left La Roja short of quality but there is reason for optimism.
At the U17 Sudamericano, Chile showcased a new wave of technically sharp, tactically aware players who also demonstrated real mental resilience in games. The likes of Colo-Colo pair Alonso Olguín and Yastin Cuevas, New York City FC’s fabulously named Zidane Yáñez, La Serena’s Cristóbal Sepúlveda, and Santiago Wanderers’ midfielder Sebastián Vargas all look like future internationals.
But it was arguably right-back Martín Jiménez who shone brightest. Composed in possession, aggressive in duels, and confident driving forward, Jiménez provided width and balance throughout the tournament. His ability to time overlapping runs and deliver quality from wide areas stood out, but so too did his defensive intelligence - rare at this level for an attack-minded full-back. Comfortable under pressure and capable of playing out from the back, he looked like a player already equipped for senior football.
Venezuela, meanwhile, continued to build on recent momentum across its youth levels. La Vintotinto’s U17s looked cohesive, physically ready, and tactically well-drilled, reflecting a system that’s starting to produce more consistent top-level prospects.
Diego Claut stood out as a technically gifted, mobile striker, who scored four goals in only five appearances. His combination of movement, decision-making, and finishing instinct made him one of the tournament’s most watchable attackers. Still at Venezuelan minnows Deportivo Miranda, the Sudamericano provided Claut with his breakthrough moment and it’s difficult to see the 17-year-old there for long.
By the time the tournament was over the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Juventus and PSG had all been linked to the latest talent out of Envigado’s outstanding youth divisions.
The spark in interest wasn’t due to a sudden rise in form, it was due to long-overdue visibility. Across Colombia, there’s a growing feeling that minimal exposure to a wider audience leaves many of their players struggling to get noticed. Without consistent video coverage or accessible data, players like Londoño risk being overlooked.
The post-tournament interest in Londoño was a clear signal: the infrastructure around talent matters as much as the talent itself. He had the tools all along - what changed was the platform and who was watching. Given that scouting today depends as much on digital reach, if players aren’t visible on Hudl Wyscout - the world’s largest football video library - they’re in danger of being invisible to much of the modern market.
Argentina’s next top striker?
Argentina has never lacked elite centre-forwards - the real challenge has perhaps been choosing between them. Gabriel Batistuta and Hernán Crespo once battled for the number nine shirt and a decade later, it was Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín vying for the same role. Lionel Scaloni now has the conundrum of Julián Álvarez or Lautaro Martínez and while it looked like Agustín Ruberto might just be next in line after claiming the Golden Boot at the 2023 U17 World Cup - the emergence of Thomas De Martis suggests he too might have competition in the future.
The Lanús forward ended as the Sudamericano’s leading scorer, finishing with six goals in as many games and reinforcing a trend: Argentina continues to produce intelligent, efficient finishers with a hunger for goals.
A wave of even younger breakouts
One of the most striking trends from this year’s U17 Sudamericano was the number of players born in 2009 not just making squads but excelling. In a tournament traditionally dominated by those in the final year of eligibility, this new wave of younger players is reinforcing ideas as to when clubs need to start tracking talent.
Take, for example, Miguel Agámez (Colombia), Edwin Quintero, Deinner Ordóñez (Ecuador) and Vicente Villegas (Chile). All four were two years younger than many of their opponents during the tournament but each showed the kind of maturity and technical quality that caught the attention of scouts.
Agámez, just 15, anchored Colombia’s midfield with composure well beyond his years, constantly winning possession and distributing with intelligence. Quintero, one of several standout prospects from Independiente del Valle, impressed with his dynamism, while outstanding centre-back Ordóñez offered a commanding presence rarely seen at this age. For Chile, Villegas looked every bit a future number one - confident, vocal, and decisive inside his box.
The fact that these players were not just included but trusted with significant minutes speaks volumes about the faith shown in their quality and how some federations are now accelerating their top prospects. For scouts and clubs, it’s a clear signal: the sooner you can see them, the better.
The implication? Early-stage scouting now requires the right tools, a forward-thinking mindset, and a willingness to act before the rest of the market catches up.
Scouting the U17 Sudamericano is more important than ever
The 2025 Sudamericano U17 proved once again why it remains one of the most important youth tournaments in world football. Whether it's Brazil’s continued dominance, the emergence of next-gen talents, or the breakout of players like Santiago Londoño and Thomas de Martis, this tournament is a clear window into South America’s future stars.
In a landscape where early identification is everything, tournaments like the Sudamericano U17 are opportunities that cannot be missed. If clubs are not scouting them with the right tools, they are already behind.