President Gianni Intantino says the Under-17 FIFA World Cup will be held annually instead of biennially, with the next five editions from 2025 to take place in Qatar.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, similar to 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.
FIFA says this decision follows 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.
At the recent Council Meeting, Infantino says a record UDS 2.25 billion had been earmarked for the 2023-2026 cycle for investment in football development.
“Thanks to its solid financial governance, FIFA is well on track to exceed its budgetary target of USD 11 billion for the 2023-2026 cycle,” says Infantino.
Infantino also called for the imposition of stricter measures to combat racism.
“The 74th FIFA Congress will mark a milestone in FIFA’s ongoing efforts to fight racism with new and stricter measures to be applied worldwide in cooperation with all our member associations and the confederations,” says Infantino.
The annual report will be submitted for final approval at the FIFA Congress on 17th May, when the hosts for the 2027 Women’s World Cup will also be voted on.
There are three bids for the tournament, including one from Brazil, a joint one from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, and another joint bid from Mexico and the United States.
