The 2025 U-17 World Cup: A Football Festival-Themed Tournament

AL RAYYAN, SUNDAY — The countdown to the 2025 U-17 World Cup has reached 100 days. The U-17 World Cup in Qatar is the inaugural concept of a tournament with a football festival theme initiated by FIFA. Teams and fans are engaged in activities centered in the Aspire Zone located in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

Referring to the last edition of the U-17 World Cup held in Indonesia in 2023, the matches were distributed across the four largest cities in the country. Jakarta, Surabaya (East Java), Bandung (West Java), and Surakarta (Central Java) were the host cities, each represented by one stadium.

Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) has become a venue for matches in the capital. Bung Tomo Main Stadium in Surabaya serves as the home ground for Indonesia. Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung witnessed the emergence of new stars, including Claudio Echeverri from Argentina. Meanwhile, Manahan Stadium in Surakarta hosted the closing ceremony as well as the final match, which was won by the German youth team.

The tournament concept in separate cities and stadiums with a capacity of more than 10,000 seats will no longer be presented at the U-17 World Cup starting from the 2025 to 2029 editions. The organization of five consecutive editions in Qatar will use a festival concept. This means that matches will only be held in venues with a capacity of no more than 2,000 spectators.

FIFA and the Local Organizing Committee of Qatar have determined that a total of 103 matches will be held at eight venues in the Aspire Zone. The matches will take place from November 3 to 27.

The final match is the only game to be held in a large stadium, namely the Khalifa International Stadium, which is also located within the Aspire Zone. The Khalifa International Stadium is the main home ground of the Qatar national team.

The U-17 Indonesian team, competing in Group H alongside Brazil, Honduras, and Zambia, will hold their matches between Field 7 and Field 8 of the Aspire Zone. The "Garuda Muda" will play twice at Field 7 against Zambia and Honduras. One match against Brazil will take place at Field 8.

"I can hardly wait to welcome and see the stars of the new generation get the opportunity to make their debut on the world stage. They will follow in the footsteps of many great players who have appeared in this tournament at the beginning of their careers," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in an official FIFA release welcoming 100 days to the U-17 World Cup 2025, Sunday (27/7/2025).

A total of eight fields in the Aspire Zone feature high-quality grass and state-of-the-art supporting facilities. The grass used is similar to that which was employed when Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup. Of course, Qatar has replaced the grass, ensuring that when used for the 2025 U-17 World Cup, the fields will be in optimal condition.

From information gathered by Kompas, to have the best quality grass, the Local Organizing Committee of the 2025 U-17 World Cup through the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legecy Qatar is responsible for providing the best grass.

They have their own grass nursery and maintenance facility, allowing for the periodic replacement of the field grass in the Aspire Zone complex and other stadiums in Qatar.

At the 2025 U-17 World Cup, the Aspire Zone will host eight matches per day during the group stage. The grass will be watered before and after the matches, as well as during halftime breaks.

For fans, the presence of centralized matches also makes it easy to watch several games in a single day. Public transportation connections, especially the Doha Metro, facilitate fans in reaching the Aspire Zone. There is a Sport City station on the Doha Metro Gold Line to access the Aspire Zone area.

In addition, the Local Organizing Committee for the U-17 World Cup has also prepared a fan zone in the Aspire Zone. This area will feature a number of cultural activities from Qatar and several participating countries in the 2025 U-17 World Cup.

Almoez Ali, the striker for the Qatar national team, views positively the opportunity for young players from 48 participating countries to experience the facilities of Aspire Zone. According to him, the players will encounter a very exciting and unforgettable match atmosphere.

"The U-17 World Cup being held in the Aspire Zone will be a huge motivation for the next generation of players. They will have the opportunity to showcase their best performance on the pitch. I'm sure they know how important this experience is for their future," said Ali in an official statement received by Kompas from the 2025 U-17 World Cup Local Organizing Committee.

Ali is one of the early graduates of the Aspire Academy, initiated by Qatar through the establishment of centralized sports facilities in the Aspire Zone since 2004. Not only football, but the Aspire Zone also boasts top-notch sports facilities for athletics and aquatics.