FIFA U-17 World Cup: 5 Ballon d'Or Finalists who started out at the U-17 stage

Final preparations are underway as India gears up for their first FIFA tournament. The FIFA U-17 World Cup is now a little over a month away from beginning and the hype is advancing. The prestigious tournament already has quite the reputation for showcasing some world class future talents and promises to do the same this year.

A wide range of stars from the past as well as the present have dazzled in this format and have gone on to win multiple trophies for club and country throughout their professional careers. It may also be worth noting that quite a few of Ballon d'Or finalists have played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup during their careers and this looks like a very promising sign for the millions of Indians who will flock to stadiums to watch the tournament, later this year.

An astounding 600 players from 24 nations will showcase their talent on the pitch in a month's time and a few of them will certainly go on to reach the heights of their predecessors.

Here are five Ballon d'Or finalists who started out in the FIFA U-17 World Cup:

#1 Luis Figo

The Portuguese midfielder showcased his talent in the 1989 edition of the tournament that took place in Scotland, where he notched two goals in six games for Portugal who were the highest scoring team in the tournament with 11 goals. Though two goals may not seem like a lot, you must remember Figo was a midfielder and the highest scorer of the tournament had only scored three.

Portugal got knocked out in the semis by the hosts Scotland but young Luis Figo definitely did make headlines worldwide. Fast forward 11 years and you'll see that Figo not only got nominated but also managed to win the Balon d'Or in 2000 despite all the turmoil surrounding his controversial move to Real Madrid from Barcelona.

There were not a lot of trophies to show for that season but a lot of impressive and important performances.

#2 Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon represented Italy for the U-17 World Cup in 1993

The towering Italian veteran who is Italy's most capped player and the most capped European international, featured in the 1993 edition of the format which took place in Japan. Unfortunately, Italy couldn't make it past the group stages and finished last in their respective group; however, Buffon managed to pull off a few great saves but had only one clean sheet in three matches.

13 years later Buffon had one of the best seasons any player can dream off by winning the Serie A with Juventus and winning the FIFA World Cup in which his saves were instrumental in the Azzurri's triumph.

The fact that he conceded only two goals throughout the entire tournament supported his nomination for the prestigious award. He went on to finish as the runners-up in the 2006 Balon d'Or behind Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro - a finalist nevertheless.

#3 Ronaldinho

One of the greatest and most skilled midfielders of this era, Ronaldinho was a treat to the eyes of football fans all over the world regardless of what team they supported. Ronaldinho represented Brazil in the 1997 edition of the tournament which was held in Egypt.

He was part of a rampant Brazil side that cruised through the tournament and picked up the winners trophy with an unbeaten record. Ronaldinho scored once in the group stage when Brazil defeated Austria 7-0 and once in the semifinal when the samba boys knocked Germany out by defeating them 4-0.

Ronaldinho finished third in the 2003-04 Balon d'Or race after a winning the 2002 World Cup and moving to Barcelona in 2003. He then went on to win the Balon d'Or the following year in 2005.

#4 Fernando Torres

Torres represented Spain in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2001

Fernando Torres has definitely earned the reputation of one of the greatest European strikers of all time. He represented Spain in the 2001 edition of the tournament that was held in Trinidad & Tobago. He scored Spain's first goal of the tournament in a win vs Oman but his team was knocked out in the group stages after finishing third in a group that also had Burkina Faso and Argentina.

Torres was a finalist in the 2008 Balon d'Or finishing third after an impressive season for Liverpool where he finished as their top scorer in the league (24 goals) and in all competitions (33 goals).

He was also nominated in the PFA Team of The Year and helped Liverpool reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. But it didn't stop there as there was also international glory for the Spanish talisman who scored the winner in the final to help Spain win their second European Championship and their first trophy after 44 years in 2008.

He would later go on to win the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship again in 2012 with the national side.

The following video is wrongly named as a game from the U21 World Cup. It is in fact his game against Argentina in the U17 World Cup from 2001.

#5 Neymar

Neymar took part in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup that was held in Nigeria

Before his big move to Barcelona, Brazil's poster boy was already making headlines locally for Santos football club and for his country. Young Neymar was always destined for greatness and today he is the world's most expensive player after making the £198 million move from Barcelona to PSG.

Neymar also featured for Brazil in the 2009 U-17 World Cup that was held in Nigeria. He scored in Brazil's opening game vs Japan which was their only win of the tournament as the South Americans, unfortunately, crashed out in the group stages.

Six years later in 2015 at the tender age of 23, Neymar finished third behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the coveted Ballon d'Or. It was still a great year as Neymar won the La Liga, Copa Del Ray and UEFA Champions League with Barcelona in that season.