College players at the U20 World Cup

College players at the U20 World Cup
by Travis Clark
July 30, 2018

The 2018 Under-20 Women’s World Cup kicks off this Saturday, August 5.

While it may not carry the same schedule headache that the 2016 edition did from a college soccer perspective, the tournament is scheduled to wrap up on August 24, a week after the women’s Division I season starts.

With the age cut-off starting at January 1, 1998, there are more than a handful of college players that have been called up to their respective national teams for the World Cup. As could be expected, the United States is the clubhouse leader, as all 21 players that were called up are currently in college or set to join programs this fall. The trend of international recruiting means that eight other countries also feature at least one college player on their roster.

MORE: U.S. Under-20 Roster Breakdown

That of course, causes issues, as players will miss the entire preseason and for some that go deep in the tournament, the start of the 2018 campaign. It’s something that coaches have to live with, though there’s no question a run to the final for the United States could leave a mark on a non-conference game or two.

Below is a country-by-country look at the college players heading to France.

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