The official draw for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 took place on Sunday in Doha, placing host nation Qatar in Group A alongside Italy, South Africa, and Bolivia.

This upcoming edition marks a historic milestone as the tournament adopts an expanded format with 48 teams, a first across all FIFA World Cup events. Scheduled to run from November 3 to 27, this will be the first of five U-17 tournaments awarded to Qatar through 2029.

The draw ceremony featured notable football figures including former Qatari international Abdulaziz Al Sulaiti and German star Julian Draxler, who currently plays for Al Ahli Qatar.

Tournament Format and Venues

Over a span of 25 days, a total of 104 matches will be played across eight stadiums located within the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence. The final match is set to take place at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium.

The 48 participating teams were divided into 12 groups, each containing four teams. From the group stage, the top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams will move on to the knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 32.

Group Stage Breakdown:

• Group A: Qatar, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia
• Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, Portugal
• Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates
• Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji
• Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt
• Group F: Mexico, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Switzerland
• Group G: Germany, Colombia, North Korea, El Salvador
• Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia
• Group I: United States, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czech Republic
• Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Ireland
• Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda
• Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia

Road to the Final

The knockout phase kicks off with the Round of 32, followed by the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand final on November 27. With this new structure, young talents from around the world will get a bigger stage to shine, and fans can expect an action-packed tournament full of surprises.

Stay tuned for updates as the countdown to one of the biggest youth football tournaments in history begins!