May 28 – FIFA held the official draws for two of its 2025 tournaments to be held in Doha on Sunday, with the Arab Cup and the newly expanded U-17 World Cup set to return to Qatar later this year. The dual-event draw was hosted at the Raffles Hotel.
The 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup will be the first to feature an expanded 48-team format, mirroring the structure introduced for the senior men’s World Cup in 2026. Running from November 3 to 27, the tournament will be staged exclusively in Qatar and marks the first of five consecutive editions to be held in the country through to 2029.
The draw produced 12 groups of four for the first round.
The event is expected to generate greater youth-focused engagement across FIFA’s global footprint, particularly in emerging markets represented by debutants. Matches will be staged in the Aspire Zone complex, a legacy venue from the 2022 World Cup, while the final will take place at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Speaking via video, FIFA president Gianni Infantino highlighted Qatar’s reliability as a host nation and praised its facilities and legacy infrastructure. He also underlined the importance of the expanded U-17 format in giving more nations a platform on the global stage.
Later in the evening, attention turned to the draw for the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup. The second edition of the tournament to be hosted by Qatar will follow a two-part format, with a seven-match qualification round November 25-26, followed by a 16-team final stage from December 1-18. The competition includes 23 teams from across the Arab world, grouped into four pools for the main event.
The Arab Cup has emerged as a key regional tournament with growing importance on the FIFA calendar. While it does not yet enjoy fixed cycle status, its utility as a commercial and diplomatic platform has increased, particularly following its successful 2021 revival in Doha.
The draw was overseen by FIFA Director of Tournaments Jaime Yarza and assisted by high-profile Arab football figures including Hassan Al Haydos, Rabah Madjer, Yasser Al Qahtani, and Wael Gomaa. Qatar’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Yasir Al Jamal, reiterated the country’s broader vision for sports diplomacy and cultural exchange through major tournaments.
Both competitions are part of FIFA’s wider calendar expansion strategy, aimed at maximising the use of World Cup infrastructure, growing the game in underrepresented regions, and developing new commercial pathways for its properties.
Results of the draw for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025
Qualification Stage:
Q1: Oman v Somalia
Q2: Bahrain v Djibouti
Q3: Syria v South Sudan
Q4: Palestine v Libya
Q5: Lebanon v Sudan
Q6: Kuwait v Mauritania
Q7: Yemen v Comoros
Final Stage:
Group A: Qatar, Tunisia, Q3 (Syria or South Sudan), Q4 (Palestine or Libya)
Group B: Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Q1 (Oman or Somalia), Q7 (Yemen or Comoros)
Group C: Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Q6 (Kuwait or Mauritania)
Group D: Algeria, Iraq, Q2 (Bahrain or Djibouti), Q5 (Lebanon or Sudan)
Results of the draw for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025
Group A: Qatar, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia
Group B: Japan, Morocco, New Caledonia, Portugal
Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates
Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji
Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt
Group F: Mexico, Korea Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Switzerland
Group G:Germany, Colombia, Korea DPR, El Salvador
Group H:Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia
Group I: USA, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czechia
Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Republic of Ireland
Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda
Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1748501269labto1748501269ofdlr1748501269owedi1748501269sni@g1748501269niwe.1748501269yrrah1748501269