First 48-team FIFA World Cup brings young supporters to witness the future stars of tomorrow
Published: 05 Nov 2025 - 07:35 pm | Last Updated: 05 Nov 2025 - 07:39 pm
Doha, Qatar: With the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 now in full swing, young fans from around the world shared their excitement about what the tournament means to them.
For Croatian aspiring footballer Viktor Karlo, 13, the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 makes his dreams feel real and within reach: "My passion is to become a professional footballer and compete on the world's biggest stage. Being here shows me what the real standards are, because these players demonstrate the commitment and competitive level you need to succeed.”

Attending matches with her family, Bruna Bohrt Lijeron, 11, said that she enjoys being a part of something with the people she cares about most: "The atmosphere is exceptional. There's continuous cheering throughout and just when I think I can sit down, we stand up again to cheer.”
Claudio Conte, 11, who trains with both Juventus Academy in Qatar and Al Rayyan Club, watched the opening match cheering for both sides: "I live in Qatar but I'm from Italy, so I support both. Coming here and watching these players, seeing how good they are, it makes me believe I can do it. I really hope I can make it like these players one day. Whether it's for Italy or Qatar,” said Conte.
Gabriel Aguiar, 14, from Portugal, shared his excitement to be watching the future of football unfold in Qatar: "These players will be the future stars. When older players retire, they will be the fresh ones ready to give new hope and aspirations to their countries," he explained.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ is the first of five consecutive editions that Qatar will be hosting. As the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams, this will be the biggest-ever edition of the youth tournament that saw the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Luis Figo, Xavi Hernandez, Eden Hazard, Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Son Heung-min and Francesco Totti appear on the world stage for the first time.

Tickets can be purchased exclusively from www.roadtoqatar.qa. Tickets are available as a Day Pass, enabling fans to attend multiple matches a day, as well as fan zone activities. Fans can also purchase a Prime Pass, which enables them to reserve seats for high demand matches.
Supporters of the Qatar national team can avail the Follow My Team ticket, which enables them to attend all matches of the Qatari U-17 team during the group stage. All tickets are digital and include wheelchair accessible seating options for disabled fans.
Accessible seat requests must be sent to: accessibility.u17fw@sc.qa.
Fans must download the RoadtoQatar mobile app to present purchased tickets and access tournament venues. For the complete FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 match schedule and tournament information, click here.