Doha, Qatar: The 20th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 will kick off in Doha Monday, running until Nov. 27, with the participation of 48 national teams -- the largest number in the tournament’s history.
This edition marks the first of five consecutive tournaments that Doha will host until 2029. Matches will take place across eight stadiums within the Aspire Academy over 25 days, featuring a total of 104 matches, with eight games played daily throughout the various stages of the competition.
The final match will carry special significance as it will take place at Khalifa International Stadium, one of the iconic venues of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The Qatar national team will officially open the tournament, facing Italy at 6:45pm tomorrow (Monday) on Pitch No. 7 at Aspire in Group A, which also includes South Africa and Bolivia.
Al-Annabi is aiming for a strong start and a successful campaign, hoping to surpass its best-ever result, the fourth place in the 1991 edition in Italy. That remains Qatar’s standout achievement from its seven previous appearances in 1985, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, and 2005.
Under the leadership of Spanish coach Alvaro Mejia, the Qatari squad has undergone a thorough preparation period, including participation in several tournaments and test matches.
In the final stage of preparations, the Qatari U-17 team held an overseas training camp, where they played a series of friendly matches, losing 2-1 to Belgium, 3-0 to Croatia, and then defeating Ukraine 2-1. The technical staff also utilized last month’s GCC U-17 Cup in Doha to provide all players with opportunities across different lineups in preparation for the World Cup.
The opening day of the tournament will feature eight matches before the official opening ceremony.
The first match will see Bolivia, making its third appearance in the tournament, face South Africa, which is participating for the second time, at 3:30 pm on Aspire Field No. 3, as part of Group A fixtures.
In the second match, Costa Rica, taking part for the 11th time, will meet the United Arab Emirates, marking the first Arab appearance in this year’s edition and the UAE’s fourth participation overall. This match will kick off at 3:30 pm on Aspire Field No. 8, within Group C, which also features a clash between Senegal, making its third appearance, and Croatia, appearing for the fourth time, scheduled for 4:00 pm on Aspire Field No. 1.
Meanwhile, Morocco, competing in the tournament for the third time, will start its campaign with a tough match against Japan, a team with a strong record of ten previous appearances, at 4:30 pm on Aspire Field No. 5, as part of Group B. In the same group, Portugal, the 2025 European champion, will take on New Caledonia at 6:15 pm on Aspire Field No. 4.
Also on the schedule, Tunisia, which has appeared in three previous World Cups, will open its Group D campaign against Fiji, making its debut appearance in the tournament, at 6:45 pm on Aspire Field No. 8. The same group will also see a high-profile encounter between Argentina, third-place finisher in the 2003 edition, and Belgium, which finished third in 2015, set for 5:45 pm on Aspire Field No. 2.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is being held in a single location, designed to create a football carnival, especially as the areas surrounding the eight stadiums within Aspire Zone will serve as fan zones throughout the tournament.
This year’s edition marks the beginning of a major transformation introduced by FIFA to its youth tournaments. The Doha U-17 World Cup is the first FIFA competition ever to feature an expanded lineup of 48 teams, and it also introduces another major change; the tournament will now be held annually instead of every two years, as was the case under the previous system.
According to the new tournament format, the 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four. Each group will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group along with the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32, for a total of 32 teams moving on to the knockout stage.
The knockout rounds will follow a structured elimination format, beginning with the Round of 32, followed by the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, leading up to the final match, which will take place on Nov. 27 at Khalifa International Stadium.
Prior to the draw, held in Doha at the end of May, FIFA allocated the 48 participating teams into four seeding pots based on their performances in the last five U-17 World Cups, with 12 teams in each pot. As the host nation, Qatar was placed in Pot 1 and seeded at the top of Group A.
According to the draw, the teams were divided as follows:
Group A: Host Qatar, Italy, South Africa, and Bolivia.
Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, and Portugal.
Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, and United Arab Emirates.
Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, and Fiji.
Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, and Egypt.
Group F: Mexico, South Korea, Côte d'Ivoire, and Switzerland.
Group G: Germany, Colombia, North Korea, and El Salvador.
Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, and Zambia.
Group I: United States, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, and Czech Republic.
Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, and Ireland.
Group K: France, Chile, Canada, and Uganda.
Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, and Saudi Arabia.
The local organizing committee made all necessary arrangements to ensure the tournament is presented in the best possible manner, with expectations that it will be highly successful, given Qatar’s experience in organizing major events.
