Doha: The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is drawing large crowds to the Fan Zone, which hosts a wide range of cultural, entertainment, and community activities offered by numerous local entities and companies. Located within the competition complex in Aspire Zone, the Fan Zone coincides with 104 matches in the largest edition of the U-17 World Cup to date, attracting tens of thousands of fans to experience the tournament atmosphere.
According to Qatar News Agency, as part of a community initiative, the Local Organizing Committee partnered with over 20 local companies, providing them free spaces to showcase their products and services to the public. LOC Executive Director of Marketing, Promotion, and Commercial Hassan Al Kuwari emphasized that the global tournament is not only about matches but also serves as a leading platform to celebrate diverse talents within the community.
Al Kuwari also stated that the Fan Zone highlights the richness of Qatari culture as well as the cultures of resident communities in Qatar, featuring numerous local restaurants and cultural and artistic performances by students and artists. Qatar Foundation (QF) is presenting its students' talents through interactive workshops and cultural shows. Its Pre-University Education Program also provides a mobile sensory assistance room and a quiet area equipped with advanced technologies under specialist supervision, ensuring children with autism and sensory processing challenges can fully enjoy the tournament experience.
Manager of Initiatives, Events, and Community Partnerships at QF, Haia Al Naimi, highlighted that community participation aims to create inclusive opportunities for all. She added that QF student community includes children with diverse abilities, each following a different path toward success. The Fan Zone provides an ideal platform to celebrate this diversity while strengthening families' confidence in equal opportunities for all.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Fan Zone also features sports activities offered by local companies, giving fans the chance to participate in fitness activities. The area includes a small football pitch hosting matches for community academies in a U-12 tournament modeled on the U-17 World Cup. It also hosts a lineup of performers and artists, with 880 participants presenting a variety of cultural and folkloric performances.
This edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup features 48 teams for the first time in the tournament's history and marks the first of five consecutive editions hosted by Qatar until 2029.