Agustín Ruberto is one of the breakout stars of the ongoing U-17 FIFA World Cup. The Argentine striker was sharing the goal-scoring burden for the South American side with Claudio Echeverri before being knocked out by Germany in the semi-finals. The Argentine exit raised some eyebrows due to the similarities between Agustín Ruberto and Kylian Mbappe.
Agustín Ruberto scored a hat-trick against Germany, including a last-minute equalizer, to send the tie into a penalty shootout. The match ended in regulation time with a scoreline of 3-3. The penalty shootout ended 4-2 in favor of Germany, sending the European side into the final of the Under-17 FIFA World Cup.
That’s crazy
— Mo 🇳🇱 (@Mo01198) November 28, 2023
A hat-trick, including a comeback equalizer in the dying minutes. The scoreline of 3-3 in regulation time and being on the losing end of the penalty shootout that ended with a 4-2 scoreline. The story was similar for Kylian Mbappe in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina.
Partners in L
— I’m_Adroit (@SanyaSimiloluwa) November 28, 2023
Both games were trending on social media at the time and drew some interesting comments from the fans. In this instance, the similarities between Ruberto and Mbappe were in focus, along with the thrilling encounter. Comments like “What a game,” “That’s crazy,” “Watch how he is going to be the next big thing,” “The world needs to see this,” and “Partners in L,” echoed the sentiments of fans.
Agustín Ruberto leads the Golden Boot race in the Under 17 World Cup
The similarities between Agustín Ruberto and Kylian Mbappe can also be seen in the Golden Boot race. Mbappe won the Golden Boot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup with eight goals. Agustín Ruberto currently leads the race for the Golden Boot in the U-17 World Cup with eight goals too.
The Under-17 World Cup is currently ongoing, with one semi-final match, one third-place playoff, and the final yet to be played. However, it is highly likely that Agustín Ruberto will end up winning the Golden Boot in this tournament. He leads the race by three goals, with Claudio Echeverri trailing in second place with five goals.
Ruberto scored three goals in the group stage against Senegal, Japan, and Poland. He scored a brace against Venezuela in the Round of 16. He didn’t score against Brazil in the quarterfinals but provided an assist. Finally, a hat trick against Germany in the semi-finals stole the show for the striker.
In the next game…
Agustín Ruberto became the second player to score a hat-trick at the U-17 World Cup for Argentina, including a 90+7′ equaliser.
Unfortunately, Germany won the semi-final penalty shootout. 😩 https://t.co/j1meizA1vA pic.twitter.com/UyOeB0pV4S
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) November 28, 2023
Mbappe came close to the FIFA World Cup but was applauded by fans and experts for his performances in the tournament. Similarly, Ruberto‘s performances are also being applauded by fans and experts. The only silver lining for the striker in this case is that his performances have opened a potential move to Europe in the next season.
As per early reports, Brighton leads the race to sign the striker. Ruberto is only 17 years old and has only started his career with River Plate in Argentina. The striker has exploded onto the scene, which is what FIFA aims to do with this tournament: introduce next-generation superstars to soccer fans around the world.