Qatar to host FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 in November-December
Qatar will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 from November 19 to December 13, featuring 48 teams. The draw is set for May 21 in Zurich, with matches taking place in Doha's Aspire Zone. This marks the second of five consecutive annual U-17 tournaments in Qatar through 2029.
Qatar will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup in November and December, according to an announcement by world football's governing body and local organizers.
The tournament runs from November 19 to December 13, 2026, in the host nation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, featuring 48 teams, as stated by local organizers in Qatar on Wednesday.
This is the second year Qatar is hosting the U-17 tournament, which will be held annually in Qatar through 2029.
The draw for the tournament will take place on May 21 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Matches will be played at venues in Aspire Zone, a sports complex in Qatar's capital Doha, which also houses the Khalifa International Stadium.
Local organizers said over 197,460 spectators attended the 2025 edition across 104 matches over 15 matchdays.
The 2025 edition served as a launchpad for emerging young players, including Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt), Seydou Dembele (Mali), Jesse Bisiwu and Nathan De Cat (Belgium), and Samuele Inacio (Italy).
The final will be held at Khalifa International Stadium, where Portugal were crowned champions in 2025.
The announcement comes one month after the "Finalissima" match between Spain and Argentina in Qatar, scheduled for March, was canceled due to war in the Middle East.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was set to take place on March 27 at Lusail Stadium, where fans would have had the chance to see Lionel Messi face Lamine Yamal.
The Spain vs Argentina match was part of the Qatar Football Festival. The five-day festival also included matches: Egypt vs Saudi Arabia and Qatar vs Serbia on March 26; Egypt vs Spain and Saudi Arabia vs Serbia on March 30; and Qatar vs Argentina on March 31.
