Qatar hosting FIFA football tournaments

Article posted by Coliseum, March 12^th, 2025

Image: Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (LinkedIn)

The dates have been set by FIFA for two major football tournaments being hosted in Qatar later this year.

The Peninsula said the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 will kick off on 1 December, with the final taking place on 18 December, Qatar National Day.

The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 will take place earlier between 3 – 27 November. The dates were confirmed at a FIFA Council meeting.

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

HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Sports and Youth, and LOC Chairman for both tournaments said, “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 wonderful platform for young players to shine on a global stage.

“We look forward to welcoming players and fans alike into our world-class sporting facilities and providing them with a rich 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.”

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 over 25 days.

The Peninsula further stated that the youth tournament has previously launched the careers of some of football’s most iconic players.

Host Qatar will look to improve on their best finish – fourth place at the 1991 edition.

The inaugural FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar in 2021 enjoyed tremendous success, attracting fans from across the region and around the world and witnessing some thrilling action on the pitch.

Algeria emerged victorious at the end of the tournament, overcoming Tunisia in a hard-fought 2-0 match at one of Qatar’s stunning FIFA World Cup 2022 stadiums, Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, on 18 December 2021.

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

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