The FIFA under-17 World Cup will held every year from 2025

According to Reuters, FIFA announced that the Under-17 World Cup, held every two years, will now be held annually, starting from 2025. Qatar will host the subsequent five editions of the tournament, and the number of participating teams will be expanded to 48, similar to the senior men's World Cup.

In addition, FIFA has also decided to hold the women's Under-17 World Cup every year from 2025 onwards. The 2022 edition had 16 teams, but the tournament will now be expanded to 24 teams, with Morocco hosting until 2029.

FIFA has said that the decision to hold both tournaments annually was made in response to a global call for expressions of interest in hosting both competitions. The focus is on leveraging existing footballing infrastructure to ensure tournament efficiencies and sustainability.

FIFA has also announced a record $2.25 billion investment in football development for the 2023-2026 cycle. This is a positive development, as FIFA is on track to exceed its budgetary target of $11 billion for the same period.

At the FIFA Council meeting, FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for stricter measures to combat racism. The 74th FIFA Congress will mark a milestone in FIFA's ongoing efforts to fight racism, with new and more stringent measures to be applied worldwide in cooperation with all member associations and confederations.

The annual report will be submitted for final approval at the FIFA Congress on May 17th. The 2027 Women's World Cup hosts will also be voted on at this meeting, with three bids received so far: one from Brazil, a joint one from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, and another joint bid from Mexico and the United States.