Doha: The Qatar U-17 national team is set to begin its campaign in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, kicking off the 20th edition of the tournament scheduled from November 3 to 27 at Aspire venues and Khalifa International Stadium. Qatar will open its journey in the 7th Asian-hosted edition of the tournament with a match against Italy on November 3 at Aspire's Pitch 7, as part of Group A, which also includes South Africa and Bolivia. The team will face South Africa on November 6 and conclude the group stage against Bolivia on November 9.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Qatari side, crowned champions of the AFC U-16 Championship in 1990 and runners-up five times in 1985, 1986, 1992, 1994, and 1998, hopes to make a historic mark in its eighth World Cup appearance, especially with the backing of home fans. Qatar stands out for having qualified for the U-17 World Cup seven times, although its last appearance dates back to 2005.
The team's first participation came in the 1985 edition in Chile, where it was placed in Group D alongside Hungary, Brazil, and Mexico. Qatar exited in the first round after losing 1-2 to Brazil, 1-3 to Mexico, and 0-3 to Hungary. In 1987 in Canada, Qatar competed in Group A with Italy, Egypt, and Canada, defeating Egypt 1-0, drawing 1-1 with Italy, and beating Canada 2-1. The team exited in the quarterfinals after a 0-3 loss to Cote d'Ivoire.
Qatar's best performance came in the 1991 edition in Italy, finishing fourth overall. The team placed second in its group with four points after a 1-0 win over Australia, a goalless draw with Congo, and a 0-1 loss to Mexico. In the quarterfinals, Qatar defeated the United States 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, but lost to Ghana 2-4 on penalties in the semifinals and again to Argentina 1-4 in the third-place match.
In 1993 in Japan, Qatar was grouped with Czechoslovakia, the United States, and Colombia, securing a 2-0 win over Colombia. The fifth appearance came in Ecuador in 1995, where Qatar was placed in Group C with Spain, Australia, and Nigeria, but exited in the first round. In 1999 in New Zealand, Qatar was in Group B with Paraguay, Burkina Faso, and Jamaica. The team lost 0-2 to Paraguay, won 2-1 against Burkina Faso, and defeated Jamaica 4-0, before falling to Australia 0-1 in the quarterfinals.
The seventh and most recent appearance was in 2005 in Peru, where Qatar was in Group D with Brazil, the Netherlands, and Gambia. The team lost 3-5 to the Netherlands, 0-6 to Brazil, and 1-3 to Gambia.
Spanish coach Alvaro Mejia has revealed the final 21-man squad for Qatar's U-17 national team ahead of their eighth FIFA U-17 World Cup appearance, hosted on home soil from November 3 to 27, 2025. The tournament will be played across Aspire venues and Khalifa International Stadium. The squad includes three goalkeepers: Ahmed Saber, Khalid Shukri, and Abdulrahman Khalid. The remaining players are: Tamim Al Qadi, Adam Riyadh, Zaid Faisal, Sultan Al Abdulrahman, Saud Al Hamad, Saifuddin Ahmed, Sheikh Mohammed, Abdulaziz Younis, Omar Al Marzouqi, Issa Walid, Faisal Saeed, Karam Hadi, Malik Majid, Mohammed Akram, Mustafa Khalid, Muhannad Jameel, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and Yazan Hani.
Mejia, who was appointed in January for a three-year term, expressed cautious optimism about the host nation's World Cup debut, stating that they are extremely excited and understand the strength of their opponents and the magnitude of this challenge. He stressed they will enter the tournament with great passion with the aim of going as far as possible, especially considering the Italy match, one of the top teams from the last European Championship, in the opener.
He added that they have had solid preparation, feeling enthusiastic, and aiming to deliver their best performance in this tournament held in Qatar, in front of their fans. These high-level matches at such a young age will help their players grow. Mejia concluded that competitive demands force all to adapt to certain conditions. Over the past few months, he said, they've worked to prepare their players for this challenge.
They know it won't be easy, he added, and their opponents will try to test them in different ways, adding that they must be ready to respond to each match's demands and adjust their playing style accordingly. Despite not qualifying for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia during April's qualifiers, the team entered an intensive preparation phase, including an overseas training camp. They played several friendlies, losing to Belgium (2-1) and Croatia (3-0), before defeating Ukraine (2-1).
The technical staff also used the Gulf Cup, concluded in Doha on October 3, as a testing ground for tactical ideas and player combinations ahead of the World Cup. Qatar began the Gulf Cup with a 1-0 win over Yemen, followed by another 1-0 victory over Oman to top their group. However, their journey ended in the semifinals with a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia, who went on to win the title.
Mejia began his career as a defender in Real Madrid's youth ranks and played for the first team from 2004 to 2007, appearing in 40 matches. He later joined Al-Shahania from 2014 to 2020, playing 137 matches, 89 of them in the top division, before retiring and taking over as head coach in 2022. The U-17 World Cup will feature 104 matches over 25 days, played across eight pitches within Aspire, with the final held at Khalifa International Stadium. This edition marks the first time the tournament includes 48 teams, divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 32.
FIFA has awarded Qatar the hosting rights for the next five editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will now be held annually instead of biennially, alongside the expanded format of 48 participating nations.