FIFA announces Qatar as the host of the annual U-17 World Cup
The FIFA Council confirmed on March 14, 2024, that Qatar will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup annually from 2025 until 2029.
This decision reflects FIFA's commitment to youth football and the tournament's growth to 48 teams. The decision to organise the event annually rather than biennially reflects FIFA's commitment to developing young talent and fostering the sport's growth.
In addition, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, which is currently open to 24 countries, will take place every year beginning in 2025 and will be hosted by Morocco through 2029. These choices are the result of an international call for hosting expressions that emphasises the use of the football field's current infrastructure to improve tournament sustainability and efficiency.
The FIFA Council also overwhelmingly accepted the Annual Report 2023, reaffirming FIFA's sound financial standing and steady expansion. FIFA is expected to surpass its budgeted objective of $11 billion for the same period, with a record $2.25 billion set aside under the FIFA Forward 3.0 Programme for football development in the 2023–2026 cycle.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino highlighted FIFA's sound financial governance and its potential to surpass its financial goals. This solid financial position enables FIFA to provide tailored support to its 211 member associations, facilitating the realisation of their development and educational projects and elevating the global football landscape.
Moreover, the voting procedure for selecting the host(s) of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 was confirmed. The upcoming Congress will decide between bids from Brazil, a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, and a joint bid from Mexico and the United States. The results of each ballot and related votes will be made public, with the host(s) set to be announced during the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok in May.
