ZARAGOZA (Spain) - Argentina may not be high on the list of teams many people think can win the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025, but Felipe Minzer is confident the South Americans have the talent to open some eyes in Lausanne this summer - and the country has history on its side.
Argentina have only missed the U19 World Cup one time - in 1987 - and the country has reached the Quarter-Finals in the last two tournaments and three of the last four editions.
"I think we are a team that can surprise if we play with determination and the identity that defines Argentina as a country that always plays hard and leaves everything on the field," said Minzer, who has been playing his club basketball in Spain since February 2023.
The wing already has his share of international experience despite being only 17 years old. He played at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024, FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024 and FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2023 as well as the FIBA South American U15 Championship 2022 and FIBA U17 South American Championship 2023.
At the regional or continental level, Minzer has never missed the Semi-Finals - winning the U17 South American crown, taking second at the U18 AmeriCup and U15 South American events and grabbing fourth at the U16 AmeriCup. And he helped Argentina to 10th place at the FIBA U17 World Cup last summer in Istanbul.
"My best memory of that World Cup was the game we won against Italy, which was quite historic for Argentina and was obviously my first match in a World Cup," said Minzer, who averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.0 steals.
The Argentinians won their opening game of the event with an 83-79 win over Italy, who would end up taking second place. But it was Argentina's first win over Italy in a youth competition in 45 years - since the 1979 World Championship for Junior Men in 1979.
You cannot underestimate any team since it is a world class tournament and the best teams play there
When asked what he learned from the FIBA U17 World Cup, Minzer said: "You cannot underestimate any team since it is a world class tournament and the best teams play there."
The cadet World Cup came after Minzer played a year up and helped Argentina finish second at the U18 AmeriCup to qualify for Switzerland. He averaged 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.2 steals as Argentina reached their first U18 Final since taking the crown in 2008.
The U18 AmeriCup last summer was even more special for Minzer since it took place in front of his home fans.
"My teammates and I had a great tournament, finishing in second place In front of all our people in Buenos Aires," Minzer said. "What I learned most from the U18 AmeriCup was to play more as a team and not think so much as an individual."
Now the focus for Minzer shifts to the U19 World Cup in Lausanne.
"I am super excited to be able to play in a World Cup with Argentina again since it is an honor to represent them," he said.
Argentina have been drawn into Group A with Serbia, New Zealand and Mali. And the cross-over group for the Round of 16 will be against Group B with Canada, China, Germany and Slovenia.
"It is a very tough group which you have to try to place as high as possible so that the cross-over is as easy as possible. But it is going to be a very difficult group stage for everyone," he said.
The final game of the group against Mali will be a special one for Minzer. The Africans, who won the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2024 and took second place at the FIBA U19 World Cup 2019, are led by Youssouf Traore - the MVP of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2024. Traore and Minzer were teammates in Spain with Zaragoza in 2023-24 and also made their debut in the Spanish ACB league in the same game.
"I haven't spoken to Youssouf yet, but I'll write him in the coming days. It’s going to be very fun since I got along with him very well. It’s a game that I really want to play," Minzer said.
That first ACB game - on September 24, 2023 against Real Madrid - had other special meaning for Minzer since he was facing current Argentina senior team superstar Facundo Campazzo.
"Facu Campazzo is a person who I have admired very much all my life, and it was incredible that after the game he came up to talk to me and told me that I should let him know if I needed anything," remembered Minzer, who became the youngest Argentine to debut in the ACB. "There I realized the humility and how good of a person he is besides being an incredible player."
Argentina likely will need a strong performance from Minzer in Lausanne if it wants to succeed. But he is not thinking about that.
"I don't think much about it since I don't want to put pressure on myself. I always try to stay focused on what I have to live in the short term and enjoy the moment," he said.
Then he can help Argentina surprise their opponents.
FIBA