World football governing body FIFA has revealed that the Under-17 nen’s World Cup will be held annually instead of biennially, with the next five editions from 2025 to 2029 scheduled to take place in Qatar.
FIFA also said just like the senior men’s World Cup, the Under 17 tournament will be expanded to 48 teams.
The women’s Under-17 World Cup will also be played annually from 2025, with Morocco hosting an expanded 24 team event until 2029. The 2022 edition had 16 teams.
The men and women’s Under-17 World Cups have been biennial but FIFA wants both to become annual tournaments in order to ensure no age group of players misses out and to accelerate development of national teams worldwide.
The last men’s Under-17 World Cup was held in 2023 with Germany winning their first title. Spain won the women’s edition in 2022.
The decisions of FIFA’s ruling council on Thursday reflect the Middle East and North Africa region’s growing influence in Football.
Qatar hosted the men’s 2022 World Cup and Morocco will be one of three co-hosts of the 2030 edition.
Both countries have elected delegates on the 37-member FIFA Council that also includes an official from Saudi Arabia, which is expected to host the men’s World Cup in 2034.
FIFA did not identify rival bidders for the hosting decisions which it said followed a global call for expressions of interest in hosting both competitions.
FIFA said its council also agreed to propose measures to tackle the unacceptable scourge of racism in football when 211 member federations meet on the 17th of May in Bangkok, Thailand.
While there, FIFA members will also pick a host for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in a contest between Brazil, a co-host bid by the United States and Mexico and a European bid by neighbors Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.