Mésaque Djú and his Portugal Under 20 teammates will have been confident going into their age-related World Cup.
However, it was a disappointing experience for the West Ham Under 23s striker on a personal level and due to the team’s performance.
Just last summer, Djú captained his nation to victory in the UEFA Under 19 European Championships having already won it at Under 17 level, successes which contributed to the Hammers’ thinking in signing him from Benfica in January 2019.
However, with Lille striker Rafael Leão (who scored eight goals in 16 Ligue 1 appearances this campaign) for competition, Djú managed a total of just 29 minutes all tournament, which came at the end of a 2-0 loss against Argentina.
He wasn’t the only Portuguese player who left the competition disappointed, as a win against South Korea and draw with South Africa put them just short of a place in the next round – they were one of only two third-place teams who didn’t make it through due to their inferior goal difference.
Djú will now be looking ahead to next season with the Under 23s where he will hope to follow in the footsteps of his countryman Xande Silva.
He impressed enough in the youth ranks to get first-team minutes in claret and blue when he came on as a substitute against Burnley and started in the FA Cup against Birmingham City.
