FIFA Expands U-17 World Cup To 48 Teams

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Council has announced that the U-17 World Cup tournament will expand from 24 to 48 teams.

In a move to strengthen youth football, the governing body has decided to hold the football event annually instead of biennially.

FIFA also confirmed Qatar will host the next five editions of the competition, starting in 2025.

This means the next five U-17 World Cups, from 2025 onwards, will be held in Qatar.

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Recall, Nigeria is the most successful team in the tournament’s history with four five titles.

Starting in 2025, Morocco will host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup annually. They have also expanded the tournament to 24 teams.

These decisions followed a global call for expressions of interest in hosting both competitions, with a focus on leveraging the use of existing footballing infrastructure in the interest of tournament efficiencies and sustainability.

Germany are the holders of the men’s Under-17 World Cup after beating France in the final of the 2023 tournament in Indonesia. Spain won the most recent women’s under-17 World Cup in 2022 in India, beating Colombia in the final.