Taller and younger: Juve's new look for the Club World Cup

Juventus are still limping following the scandals and the fall of the Agnelli empire. They are a far cry from the dominant team that claimed nine consecutive Serie A titles.

Consequently, they find themselves off the pace among the favourites at this Club World Cup, arriving under Igor Tudor, who seems unable to secure his place on the bench. However, in the United States, a reconstruction project will be evident, one that is building very tall towers.

Indeed, the Turin side stand out in the new FIFA tournament for two key traits - youth and height. Physicality, above all, dictates this Juventus squad, which boasts fast attackers and powerful players in midfield and defence. The result is the tallest squad on average in the entire competition.

Among the 35 players registered by the Bianconeri, the average height is 185.9 centimetres — one centimetre taller than Chelsea, who come second with 184.9. Borussia Dortmund follow third at 183.7, with Inter Milan fourth at 183.7 as well. Juventus have at least one player taller than 1.90 metres in every outfield position.

For example, their two centre-forwards hover around that mark. Dusan Vlahovic stands exactly at 1.90 metres, while Randall Kolo Muani, who competes with him for a place, measures 1.87 metres. Even Kenan Yildiz, known for his talent and grace on the ball, matches the French striker's 1.87 metres.

Midfield duo Locatelli and Thuram combine heights of 1.85 and 1.92, respectively. Even McKennie, adapted to play on the right flank, is a serious aerial threat, also standing at 1.85 metres.

At the back, it's much the same. The seven players who have featured as central defenders average 188.1 centimetres, with the shortest being Pierre Kalulu, a converted full-back, at 1.82.

Among the entire Club World Cup squad, the two tallest are homegrown talents: winger Alessandro Pietrelli (1.94) and goalkeeper Giovanni Daffara (1.94). In contrast, the shortest player according to FIFA's data is Francisco Conceicao.The Portuguese winger is the petite Bianconero at just 1.66 metres — the only player under 1.70.

Looking back over Juventus' skyward profile, one cannot ignore the obvious youthfulness of this group. A generational shift is gradually taking place, confirming that this Italian side have lost none of their status.

Not to be confused with inexperienced or raw, the core spine of the team ranges from 22 to 27 years old — poised to deliver the best moments of their careers in Turin. Yildiz, a key player, is the exception at 20. This is the only way to secure something new and become competitive again.

This means Juventus ranks as the club with the seventh-lowest average age in the tournament. Their ratio is 24.7, almost level with Al-Ain (24.8), against whom they make their debut on Wednesday.

Ahead lie clearly developmental and selling projects such as Borussia Dortmund (24), Benfica (23.9), and Porto (23.9). PSG (23.4) and Chelsea (23.1) are also notable, though the clear leader is Salzburg (22.4).