Tomorrow, Thursday, the AFC U-17 Asian Cup kicks off in Saudi Arabia

2025-04-02
23:15:24

The AFC U-17 Asian Cup kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from April 3 to 20, with the participation of 16 teams, in the cities of Jeddah and Taif.
The tournament will be held under a new format, which sees the teams that qualify for the quarter-finals advance directly to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar from November 5 to 27, 2025.
The draw conducted last January placed the host team, Saudi Arabia, at the top of Group A, alongside Uzbekistan, Thailand, and China. Group B included Japan, Australia, Vietnam, and the UAE.
South Korea topped Group C with Yemen, Afghanistan, and Indonesia, while Group D included Iran, Tajikistan, Oman, and North Korea.
For his part, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), Yasser bin Hassan Al-Misehal, welcomed the teams participating in the tournament, who have now arrived in the Kingdom in preparation for the competition. He wished them a pleasant stay in the Kingdom and a strong tournament that reflects the level of Asian football.
Al-Misehal added that the Kingdom's hosting of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup is an extension of a series of major sporting events hosted by the Kingdom recently, as a leading destination for major sporting and football events. He noted that this hosting reflects the Kingdom's commitment to supporting and developing Asian football, expressing his anticipation for strong competition in the tournament that will contribute to the development of Saudi and Asian football.