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The FIFA U-17 World Cup will be held annually rather than every other year, with the next five editions to be held in Qatar from 2025, world football’s governing body announced on Thursday.
Like the Senior Men’s World Cup, the U-17 tournament will be expanded to 48 teams, according to FIFA.
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The Women’s U-17 World Cup will also be held annually from 2025, with Morocco expanding to 2029 to host a 24-team tournament. Sixteen teams participated in the 2022 tournament.
The U-17 World Cup is held every other year, and FIFA hopes to hold the tournament every year to ensure that no player of any age group misses out and to promote the development of national teams around the world. There is.
The last Under-17 Men’s World Cup was held in 2023, with Germany winning their first title. Spain won the women’s tournament in 2022.
The FIFA Adjudication Council’s decision on Thursday reflects the growing influence of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in football.
Qatar will host the 2022 Men’s World Cup, while Morocco will be one of six co-hosts for the 2030 tournament. Both countries elect representatives to the 37-member FIFA Council, including officials from Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to host the men’s World Cup in 2034.
FIFA did not reveal competing bidders for the hosting decision, following a “global call for expressions of interest in hosting both tournaments.” The aim is to use existing venues “with tournament efficiency and sustainability in mind”.
FIFA also announced that a record $2.25 billion has been allocated for investment in the development of football for the 2023-2026 cycle.
“Thanks to strong financial governance, FIFA is on track to significantly exceed its budget target of $11 billion for 2023-2026,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told the FIFA Executive Board. .
FIFA agreed on Thursday that its governing board will propose measures to “tackle this unacceptable scourge” of racism in football when its 211 member federations meet on May 17 in Bangkok, Thailand. It was announced that.
Last month, Infantino told his team that if fans behaved in a racist manner, they would automatically lose.
Infantino said in a statement that the meeting was “a milestone in FIFA’s continued efforts to fight racism, working with all member associations and confederations to introduce new and strict measures that apply worldwide. ”.
Similarly, in Bangkok, FIFA member nations will choose to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup between Brazil, a joint bid by the United States and Mexico, and European bids by neighboring countries Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
The FIFA Executive Board confirmed on Thursday that it “foresees the publication of the results of each vote and the associated votes.”
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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