2024-03-14 20:59:11
The FIFA announced this Thursday a series of drastic changes in the dispute format of the next editions of the Under 17 World Cupfor both men’s and women’s soccer. What are the main modifications of the youth tournament?
The changes were communicated during the FIFA Council headed by the president of the governing body of football, Gianni Infantino, who also added that a record figure of 2.25 billion dollars had been allocated for the 2023-2026 cycle to invest in development of sport.
The main changes in the U17 World Cup
As reported this Thursday by FIFA, instead of being held every two years as is currently the case, The Under 17 World Cup will be held annually, meaning that the youth competition will be played every year. This dynamic will run for both men’s and women’s competition starting in 2025.
Another important change will be the expansion of participating teams. Like the senior men’s World Cup, The youth tournament will have 48 teams starting next year. In this case, the premiere of this new format will be in the United States-Mexico-Canada 2026, one year after the Under 17 category. In women’s football, the expansion of teams will go from 16 to 24.
Likewise, FIFA reported that from 2025, The next five editions of the Men’s Under 17 World Cup will take place in Qatar. By the side female, The next five competitions until 2029 will be held in Morocco.