WORLD football governing body FIFA has announced radical changes to its U-17 World Cup for both men and women.
In the new format announced today after the FIFA Council meeting in Switzerland, the tournaments will be held annually instead of every two years, and 48 teams will now take part in the men’s tournament and 24 in the women’s event.
FIFA also reached a decision to award the hosting rights for the next five editions of the tournament to one country for the men’s tournament (Qatar) and one country for the women’s tournament (Morocco).
“As part of the governing body’s steadfast commitment to youth football and following the decision to expand the FIFA U-17 World Cup to 48 teams and hold it annually rather than biennially, it was confirmed that the next five editions of the competition, starting in 2025, will take place in Qatar,” FIFA announced today.
“Likewise, the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which has been expanded to 24 teams and will be played annually as of 2025, will be hosted by Morocco until 2029.
“This 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.”
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have won the FIFA U-17 World Cup a record five times while the Flamingos are yet to claim the women’s title.
