FIFA President Gianni Infantino travelled to Doha, Qatar to see the state of preparations for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026™ for himself, and said that he expects the second 48-team edition of the tournament to be a resounding success.

“Expectations are high, very, very high, as always,” said Mr Infantino. “The (FIFA) U-17 (World Cup) is a beautiful tournament – the best boys from all over the world, 48 countries from six continents, and they come here to find out who is the best in the world.”

The tournament runs from 19 November to 13 December and is the second of five annual editions to be hosted by Qatar between 2025 and 2029. The 48 teams have been drawn into 12 groups of four for 104 matches, played at the Aspire Zone complex in Al Rayyan, Doha, with the final at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, little more than five miles northwest of the city.

Last year’s edition was the first FIFA U-17 World Cup™ to feature 48 teams and the FIFA President called it a remarkable event. “The experience was extremely successful. Joyful for everyone. It was a festival,” he said. “It was a celebration of football, but also of unity, of friendship. The teams who are playing, they were staying here to watch other teams play and friendships were created. It was beautiful, and this one will be even better.”

Eight teams – Greece, Montenegro, Mozambique, Romania, Serbia, Tanzania, Vietnam and Dominican Republic– will make their FIFA U-17 World Cup debut, underlining the inclusive nature of the competition.

“Every player will have the chance to participate in a (FIFA U-17) World Cup,” said Mr Infantino. “Of course, you have to qualify, but the fact that we play every year, the fact that we increased the number of participations, gives always the opportunity for new teams to come and experience a (FIFA U-17) World Cup.”

This will be the second of five straight editions of the tournament to be held in Qatar and the FIFA President said that ensured high-quality delivery of the experience.

“Hosting in one country – and let me say hosting in one country like Qatar for five years is very, very special, because we know about the qualities of this country in welcoming people, in hosting people, in security, in safety, in hospitality. So, all the teams – who, by the way, share, also, hotels – they will have an unforgettable experience,” said Mr Infantino.

Portugal won the title for the first time last year with a 1-0 victory over Austria in the final, but they are not among this year’s 48 teams. For Mr Infantino, that and the number of debutants say a lot about the state of the game.

“The fact that Portugal – who won last year in a fantastic final here in Khalifa (International) Stadium against Austria – is not here this year, the fact that there are so many debutants, the fact that it’s completely unpredictable to foresee who will be there at the end, who will be winning this FIFA (U-17) World Cup, shows that there is talent everywhere, everywhere in the world, because football belongs to everyone, everywhere,” he said.

Mr Infantino added that it was crucial for young players to have the chance to compete on the world stage, as part of their development.

“It makes them grow immensely. It gives them an incredible experience,” he said. “It is part of what we need to make football all over the world grow, right? We need more events, more competitions, at a higher level, so that the talents that exist everywhere can compete at the higher level and become better and better.”