Zurich: FIFA has announced the dates for the FIFA Arab Cup and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar this year. The announcement was made during a meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich, Switzerland. The Council decided to hold the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 from November 3 to 27, while the FIFA Arab Cup will be held from December 1 to 18.

According to Qatar News Agency, a total of 16 teams from the Arab world will compete for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 as Qatar prepares to host it for the second time in a row, after successfully hosting the competition in 2021.

The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 will be the first 48-team FIFA World Cup tournament, with a total of 104 matches played in a span of 25 days. The youth tournament has previously launched the careers of some of football's most iconic players, and eyes will be set firmly on this edition to see who the game's next star will be.

Beyond the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, Qatar will host the 2029 and 2033 editions of the regional tournament. This comes alongside the five consecutive editions of the annual FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the first coming this year.

HE Minister of Sports and Youth, and LOC Chairman for both tournaments Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani stated: "Qatar will once again bring people together from the region and beyond to celebrate the beautiful game in our football loving nation. The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 will capture the imagination of millions of football fans from around the region for a second time, while the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 offers a platform for young players to shine on a global stage." His Excellency added: "We look forward to welcoming players and fans alike into our sporting facilities and providing them with a cultural and seamless fan experience. We believe in the ability of sports to bring people together and help break down cultural barriers, something that drives our continuous desire to host major sporting events in Qatar."