Doha: Since its inaugural edition in China in 1985, the FIFA U-17 World Cup has featured 84 national teams. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, in its 20th edition, will kick off this Monday at Aspire Zone and run until November 27, culminating with the finale at Khalifa International Stadium. According to Qatar News Agency, the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 marks the seventh time the tournament will be staged in Asia. Previous Asian editions were held in China (1985), Japan (1993), South Korea (2007), the UAE (2013), India (2017), and Indonesia (2023). Thirteen Arab nations have reached the finals over the tournament's history: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Oman, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Algeria, Sudan, and the UAE. Arab teams from Asia have delivered standout performances, including four major successes. Saudi Arabia claimed the title in 1989 in Scotland, while Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain each reached the semi-finals once. The Qatari national team, winners of the 1990 AFC U-17 Champion ship, has qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup seven times, with their last appearance in 2005. They return for their eighth appearance on home soil, opening the tournament against Italy this Monday at Aspire Zone's Pitch 7. The Qatari team participated in the inaugural edition alongside Saudi Arabia, while Qatar's best performance came in the fourth edition, reaching the semi-finals and contesting third place against Argentina, ultimately losing 4-1 on penalties. While Qatar has appeared in the finals more often than any other Arab nation, the greatest achievement for Arab teams came in 1989 when Saudi Arabia captured the FIFA U-17 World Cup title. After edging Bahrain 1-0 in the semi-finals, Saudi Arabia triumphed over hosts Scotland in a dramatic final, winning 5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in regulation time. This historic victory made Saudi Arabia the first Arab and Asian team to claim a FIFA-organized tournament. Saudi Arabia advanced from the group stage with four points, drew twice (2-2 vs . Portugal and Guinea), and beat Colombia 1-0. They overcame Nigeria in the quarter-finals on penalties after a goalless draw. Bahrain finished fourth after losing the third-place match to Portugal 3-0. The Bahraini national team topped its group with 5 points from two wins against Cuba (3-0) and Ghana (1-0), and a draw against Scotland (1-1). Bahrain achieved a historic victory in the quarter-finals against Brazil, winning 4-1 on penalties after a goalless draw, before losing in the semi-finals to Saudi Arabia (0-1). Oman also had a remarkable appearance in the 1995 edition hosted by Ecuador, finishing fourth after losing the third-place match to Argentina 2-0. In terms of overall statistics, the Arab teams in previous editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup played 112 matches, with 35 wins, 25 draws, and 52 losses. The 13 Arab teams that participated in 19 editions of the tournament scored 137 goals. In the 2009 edition hosted by Nigeria, the Algerian team was the only team that failed to score a single goa l and exited after three defeats. Tunisia won six matches and lost five. It participated in the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals three times, reaching the Round of 16 twice and being eliminated in the group stage once. The 20th edition of the tournament (FIFA Qatar 2025) will feature six Arab teams: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. According to the draw, Qatar, hosts and fourth-place finishers in the 1991 edition, is in Group A alongside Italy, South Africa, and Bolivia. Morocco, quarter-finalists in 2023 in Indonesia, is drawn into Group B with Japan, New Caledonia, and Portugal. The UAE, whose best achievement was the Round of 16 in 2009 in Nigeria, will compete in Group C with Senegal, Croatia, and Costa Rica. Tunisia joins Group D along with Argentina, Belgium, and Fiji. Egypt, hosts in 1997 and quarter-finalists in their last appearance, is in Group E with England, Venezuela, and Haiti. Saudi Arabia, champions in 1989, plays in Group L with Mali, New Zealand, and Austria. The teams participating in the FIFA U-17 World Cup will play 104 matches over 25 days at eight stadiums within Aspire Zone, with the finale taking place at Khalifa International Stadium. This edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, hosted by Qatar, features 48 teams for the first time in the tournament's history. The teams have been divided into 12 groups of four, competing in the first round. The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the second round, bringing the total number of participating teams to 32. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is the first of five editions scheduled to be held in Qatar.