* Continually updating
| Group | Team |
| A | Qatar |
| B | |
| C | |
| D | |
| E | |
| F | |
| G | |
| H | |
| I | |
| J | |
| K | |
| L |
The U17 World Cup 2026 group stage draw took place in Zurich, Switzerland, at 4 PM local time, which was 9 PM Hanoi time.
The U17 World Cup 2026 will feature 48 teams, including 9 representatives from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Besides host nation Qatar, 8 teams qualified by reaching the quarterfinals of the U17 Asian Cup 2026: Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Australia.
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Vietnamese players salute the flag and sing the national anthem before their 1-0 victory over Yemen in the opening match of Group C at the U17 Asian Cup 2026, held at King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia on 7/5. Photo: Doan Huynh |
Vietnamese players salute the flag and sing the national anthem before their 1-0 victory over Yemen in the opening match of Group C at the U17 Asian Cup 2026, held at King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia on 7/5. Photo: Doan Huynh
The European Football Confederation has 11 slots. Following them are Africa (10), North and Central America (8), South America (7), and Oceania (3). Africa has so far confirmed 8 slots through its continental U17 championship currently underway in Morocco. The hai remaining slots will be determined after play-off matches on 23/5, with Ethiopia facing Mozambique and Uganda playing Ghana.
The draw rules stipulate that host nation Qatar is automatically placed in Group A. FIFA also aims to minimize the possibility of teams from the same continental confederation being drawn into the same group. Therefore, if conditions permit, Vietnam will not face other Asian representatives.
| Seeding groups | |
| Group | Team |
| 1 | Qatar, Brazil, France, Mali, Argentina, Italy, Japan, Spain, United States, Mexico, Senegal, South Korea |
| 2 | Morocco, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Croatia, Ecuador, Belgium, Republic of Ireland, Colombia, Chile, Egypt, Australia, Saudi Arabia |
| 3 | New Zealand, Costa Rica, Tajikistan, Panama, New Caledonia, Honduras, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Fiji, Cameroon, Denmark, Montenegro |
| 4 | Serbia, Romania, Greece, Uruguay, Tanzania, Algeria, Vietnam, China, Jamaica, Cuba, hai African teams |
Teams are seeded based on their performance in the 5 most recent World Cups. FIFA awards 3 points for each win in regular time and extra time. A draw in regular time, followed by a penalty shootout win or loss, awards mot point. Recent tournaments are given higher weighting: 2025 counts 100%, 2023 (80%), 2019 (60%), 2017 (40%), and 2015 (20%).
Vietnam is placed in group 4 as it is making its debut in the tournament. It is the only representative from Southeast Asia participating this year. 7 other teams are also making their debut: Tanzania (Africa), Montenegro, Greece, Romania, and Serbia (Europe).
The U17 World Cup 2026 will take place from 19/11 to 13/12 in Qatar. The host cities have not yet been determined. Last year, the tournament was held across several venues at the Aspire Academy. The final match was played at Khalifa International Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 45,000 seats, where Portugal defeated Austria 1-0.
The U17 World Cup was first organized in 1985 in China. Over 20 tournaments, Nigeria leads with 5 championships in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013, and 2015. Following them are Brazil (4), Ghana, Mexico (2), Germany, France, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and England (mot).
Hieu Luong
