Dates announced for 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup and FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar

FIFA have announced the dates for two of their major tournaments set to be held this year - the FIFA Arab Cup and the FIFA U17 World Cup.

Both tournaments are to be held in Qatar, with the U17 World Cup scheduled for November followed by the Arab Cup in December.

The U17 World Cup will kick-off on 3rd November and will run till 27th November, 2025. The Arab Cup will be held between 1-18 December, 2025.

The dates for the two tournaments were confirmed in a FIFA Council meet on Wednesday.

The next five editions of the FIFA U17 World Cup are set to be held in Qatar, as the Middle-East nation continues its success story of hosting high-profile football events on the back of a hugely successful 2022 World Cup.

The U17 World Cup, which has launched the careers of many notable footballers, will be an annual affair from 2025 onwards and the hosting rights of every edition till 2029 has been awarded to Qatar.

The FIFA Arab Cup will also call Qatar its home for the next three editions - 2025, 2029 and 2033.

H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Sports and Youth, and LOC (Local Organising Committee) Chairman for both tournaments said: "Qatar will once again bring people together from the region and beyond to celebrate the beautiful game in our football loving nation. The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 will capture the imagination of millions of football fans from around the region for a second time, while the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 offers a wonderful platform for young players to shine on a global stage."

“We look forward to welcoming players and fans alike into our world-class sporting facilities and providing them with a rich cultural and seamless fan experience. We believe in the ability of sports to bring people together and help break down cultural barriers, something that drives our continuous desire to host major sporting events in Qatar,” he added.

The 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar is set to be a 48-team event this year, the first time a World Cup event has featured so many teams. There will be a total of 104 matches in Qatar during this tournament, over a span of 25 days.

Qatar are also hosting the FIFA Arab Cup for the second time running, with the 2021 event a huge success. This time, the tournament will feature 16 teams.

Qatar will hope to cement its position as a global sports hub by delivering two more successful global tournaments, utilising its world class infrastructure which was on show during the 2022 World Cup and beyond.