FIFA Expands U-17 World Cup To 48 Teams, Qatar To Host Next Five Editions

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Council has confirmed that the FIFA U-17 World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams.

The football event will now be held annually rather than biennially, as part of the governing body’s steadfast commitment to youth football, 

It was also confirmed that the next five editions of the competition, starting in 2025, will take place in Qatar.

This means Qatar will host the next five editions from 2025.

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

Meanwhile, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which has also been expanded to 24 teams, will be played annually as of 2025 and will be hosted by Morocco until 2029.

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.