FIFA Talent Development Scheme Insights: FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 - FIFA Training Centre

This report analyses the composition and performance of the national teams that participated in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, which took place from 3 to 27 November 2025 and was the first edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ to feature the expanded format.

It involved a 48-team line-up (up from the previous 24) and ushered in the annual staging of a competition that was previously held biennially. Qatar has been awarded the hosting rights for the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ from 2025 to 2029. All six confederations featured in the tournament field, with at least seven nations flying the flag for each of the continental governing bodies, with the exception of the OFC, which was represented by three teams. The report is comprised of the following five sections:

Introduction and executive summary
FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) impact
Match results and key performance insights
Player insights
Team official insights

The report at a glance

1. Key ‘find, train & play’ findings

Participating Member Associations (PMAs) that progressed deep into the tournament shared several key similarities. Their players participated in more training sessions and matches per year, and the associations were more likely to use an online database to monitor their talent.

2. Decrease in goal margins in knockout stages

Goal margins are an important indicator of competitiveness. Despite the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 featuring twice as many knockout matches as the 2023 edition, the number of knockout matches decided by more than three goals decreased. This shift suggests more tightly contested matches.

3. Increase in proportion of minutes played by older players

The proportion of minutes played by 17-year-olds increased progressively from the group stage through to the semi-finals. In contrast, 15-year-olds – many of whom are likely to play pivotal roles in the next two editions – did not experience the semi-finals.

4. Link between head coach tenure and progression

The average tenure of head coaches in the semi-finals was more than three times that of coaches at the group stage. This suggests that allowing coaches time to grow into their roles and develop can yield positive results.

5. Concentration in development locations

A total of 173 players (17% of all players) were developed by clubs in just five countries: England, France, Germany, Italy, and the USA. Most notably, clubs from the USA developed more players than those from any other nation.