The U-20 World Cup has already produced one standout player — and he isn’t representing Argentina, though he could have. Benjamin Cremaschi, a Miami-born midfielder with Argentine parents and a former teammate of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, chose to represent the United States. He is now the rising star inspiring his country at the tournament in Chile.

The Parma midfielder had a dream debut at the U-20 World Cup, recording three goals and two assists in the United States’ 9–1 rout of New Caledonia. He opened the scoring just after the first minute with a precise finish and added a second goal in the very next sequence, giving him two goals in under five minutes.

The scoring spree didn’t stop there. Before halftime, Cremaschi completed his hat trick and added two assists, contributing to

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