La Derecha Diario What happened to the lives of the starting eleven who became U-20 World Champions in 2005
Twenty years after the world title in the Netherlands, the realities of the players who were part of that glorious team are very different
On July 2, 2005, Argentina's U-20 National Team reached glory again by being crowned world champion in the Netherlands, after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final held in Utrecht. Led by Francisco Ferraro, that team was the breeding ground for a generation that would leave its mark on Argentine football for the following decades. Lionel Messi, at just 18 years old, was the tournament's standout player: top scorer, best player of the championship, and scorer of both goals in the final, both from the penalty spot.
However, Messi was not alone. Surrounded by a talented, committed, and promising group, the Albiceleste displayed effective and exciting football, combining defensive solidity, midfield dynamism, and attacking talent. Twenty years later, that youth title is still remembered as a turning point in the recent history of Argentine football, and its protagonists left very different marks: some reached global stardom, others developed solid careers, and several ended up in anonymity or far from the spotlight.
In this article, we review what happened to the eleven starters who lifted the trophy in 2005 to understand how the path continued for those young men who once wore the sky blue and white with glory.
Óscar Ustari (goalkeeper)
After his debut with Independiente, he had a long career in Spain and Mexico. In September 2024, he signed with Inter Miami, where he is a starter and Messi's teammate. In 2025, he renewed for one more year and was a key player in the Concachampions and the Club World Cup.
Julio Barroso (right back)
After spells with Boca and Racing, he established himself in Chilean football, where he played for Colo Colo and Everton de Viña del Mar. He retired in 2023 and is currently an assistant coach for the Chilean team.
Ezequiel Garay (first center back)
He had an outstanding career in Europe: he played for Real Madrid, Benfica, Zenit, and Valencia. He was part of the team that finished runner-up in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He retired in 2021 and since then has been developing personal sports projects.
Gabriel Paletta (second center back)
He played for Liverpool, Boca, and excelled at Parma and Milan. He played in the 2014 World Cup with the Italian national team. He retired in 2023 at Monza, with more than 380 professional matches.
Lautaro Formica (left back)
Trained at Newell’s, he spent almost his entire career in Argentina's lower divisions. He also played for clubs in Paraguay, Chile, and Ecuador. He is now retired (his last club was Defensores de Belgrano) and is involved in regional football.
Fernando Gago (central midfielder)
He excelled at Boca, Real Madrid, and Valencia. He retired at Vélez in 2020. In 2025, he is the coach of Necaxa in Mexico, after managing Aldosivi, Racing, and Boca.
Juan Manuel "Chaco" Torres (central midfielder)
After standing out at Racing and San Lorenzo, he played in Ukraine, Chile, and Kazakhstan. He retired in 2017 at FK Aktobe and currently works at the Corrientes Sports Secretariat and is studying to become a coach.
Pablo Zabaleta (right back)
He was a key player at Manchester City and played in three World Cups with the Senior National Team. He retired at West Ham in 2020 after a great career. He is now a commentator in English media and collaborates as an assistant on Albania's coaching staff.
Rodrigo Archubi (left midfielder)
He played for Lanús, River, and had spells in Greece and Kuwait. His career was affected by a doping sanction. He retired in 2019 at Dock Sud and has since stayed away from professional football.
Gustavo Oberman (forward)
After emerging at Argentinos Juniors, he played for River, Spain, Romania, Chile, and India. Like Archubi, he retired at Dock Sud, and now focuses on personal projects, far from public exposure.
Lionel Messi (forward)
He was the main protagonist of the 2005 U-20 World Cup: tournament top scorer, best player, and scorer of both goals in the final. Since then, his career has been like a movie: He won 4 Champions League titles, 10 Spanish La Liga titles, and 7 Ballon d'Or awards with Barcelona, in addition to being the club's all-time top scorer.
Meanwhile, with the Argentina National Team, he won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima 2022, and the Qatar 2022 World Cup, fulfilling the dream that had eluded him in 2014.
After a brief spell with PSG, in 2023 he joinedInter Miami, where he remains active, leading the team in MLS and international competitions. At 38 years old, he is still playing and is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time.
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