As the World Cup fever builds ahead of its June kickoff in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Qatar has drawn the groups for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, confirming the 48-team lineup that will fight for football's international youth glory in Doha.
The standout groups on paper are Group C, where Argentina face Australia and Denmark, and Group L, where Japan take on Colombia and Serbia.
Group I is also promising a spectacle. Brazil against Ireland, Tanzania and Costa Rica should be comfortable for the Seleção, but their path through the knockout rounds is likely to get significantly harder.
Spain, drawn in Group H alongside China, Fiji and Morocco, should progress comfortably but will also face stiffer competition once the knockout rounds begin.
Hosts Qatar were drawn into Group A alongside Panama, Egypt and Greece.
Defending champions Portugal, who beat Austria 1-0 in last year's final at Khalifa International Stadium, will not be in Doha to defend their title — they failed to qualify, becoming the first title holders since 2019 to miss the subsequent edition.
Italy finished third and Brazil fourth in 2025.
The top youth competition, taking place from 19 November to 13 December, will mark the second of five consecutive editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to be hosted in Qatar through 2029, following last year's resounding success.
Qatar looking to build on 2025 success
Last year’s tournament made history as FIFA’s first-ever 48-team competition and transformed Aspire Zone into a nonstop football festival.
More than 197,000 fans attended the 2025 edition, while over 130 scouts from leading clubs travelled to Doha to watch the next generation of stars emerge.
Speaking during the draw, Jassim Al Jassim, CEO of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 Local Organising Committee, said organisers are aiming to build on that momentum.
“This year, we build on everything we learned in 2025 to deliver an even greater experience for players, fans, and the global football community,” Al Jassim said.
“Congratulations to all qualified teams, we look forward to welcoming you to Doha," he added.
The full tournament lineup is not yet complete, with two African qualification spots still to be decided on 23 May through CAF playoff matches in Morocco.
Matches will once again be played at the Aspire Zone Competition Complex, continuing the centralised hosting model introduced in 2025.
The setup allows fans, scouts and teams to move easily between matches and venues throughout the tournament.
The final will take place on 13 December at Khalifa International Stadium, one of Qatar’s most iconic sporting venues which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France and was the venue for Portugal's victory in last year's U-17 final.
