Overview

• FIFA announced the expansion of the men's U17 World Cup to 48 teams and the women's U17 World Cup to 24 teams, both to be held annually from 2025.
• Qatar will host the next five editions of the men's U17 World Cup, while Morocco will host the women's U17 World Cup for the same period.
• The decision reflects the growing influence of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in soccer, following Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup and Morocco's co-hosting of the 2030 edition.
• FIFA aims to ensure no age group misses out and to accelerate the development of national teams worldwide with the annual tournaments.
• FIFA also plans to tackle racism in soccer with stricter measures, to be discussed at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok.