Most of us hear “World Cup” and think of the big event. The senior men, 32 teams. The one every four years that pretty much everyone pays attention to, even Yanks.

But Fifa runs several varieties of World Cup, the others being for women or for age-group players, and what once was known as the Fifa Under 17 World Championship is now known as the Fifa Under 17 World Cup — which makes perfect sense, given the pull the words “World Cup” have.

And the 2013 edition of the U17 tournament begins here in the UAE on Thursday, and we have been previewing it, at The National, for a week, including today’s topic:

U17 success stories.

And one of those most certainly is America’s own Landon Donovan.

Landon has been around so long, it must seem to the casual fan, that it is hard to believe he was ever 17 years old … and ever not known to American soccer aficionados.

But 14 years ago, that was the case. Landon was 17, and hardly known outside of wonks who had noted that this kid from Redlands, California, had signed with Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga — the sort of signing that just didn’t happen to young Yanks, back then.

Then he went to New Zealand 1999 and impressed everyone. The U.S. reached the semifinals before losing to Australia in a shootout, and Landon was named the best player of the tournament.

He scored goals, he showed technical prowess. And this was a tournament that included Brazil’s Adriano, who had a very nice career.

Here’s the situation, regarding the U17 World Cup:

1. Your first notion would be to think that everyone in the U17 tournament is going to have a significant professional career. These guys are 17, they’re not going to do more growing, and if they are perceived to be their nation’s best at that age, certainly most of them will go on to achieve?

Turns out, no, they do not. Many of the most impressive U17s all but disappear. And check this lineup for the USA in their first group game. Consider yourself a serious fan if you recognize more than five names: Landon, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, Bobby Convey, Kyle Beckerman.

2. We did such a fine and thorough job, as a newspaper, of making the point that “most of these guys are going to disappear from view” that we needed a story that said, “Actually, some of them will have very nice careers.”

Which is where Landon Donovan comes in, and why I wrote 800 words about him and New Zealand and what he has done since.

In short, he has become the best player in American history. Most international goals (57), five MLS Cup championships, a share of the MLS record for career goals …

Landon, shown earlier in this century, above, was kind enough to answer some questions I posed to him, pertaining to the U17 experience, and he made several good points about the dynamics of being great at 17 and that talent projecting on through a career. (Or not.)

If you didn’t follow the link, above, here are the basics:

1. U17 players should not assume they have “made it”. Landon said even then he felt it was not inevitable that he would make a lot of money playing soccer. “The biggest hurdle for young players who experience success is continuing to work hard and stay hungry.”

2. It isn’t really possible to identify the guys who will make a difference as adults, when they are 17. Landon said: “It’s too hard to tell at that age. Physical tools can generally distinguish the better players from the average player at that age. However, the ability to succeed as a pro requires so much more than that. Work ethic, the mental part of the game, learning how to fit into a system, learning how to defend or attack better, depending on your position, etc.”

3. He believes the U17 is quite useful for the kids who play in it. “I think the whole U17 experience, including the World Cup, made me a better player,” he said.

Others who have become stars, from U17 World Cups? Neymar, David Silva, Cesc Fabregas, Ronaldinho, Toni Kroos … there are many.

There are far more, however, who essentially disappeared.

Fortunately for American soccer, Landon Donovan was just getting started, at New Zealand 1999.