30 Oct 2025
When the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup kicks off on November 3, it will be a moment of history for Aspire Academy, which will host 103 of the 104 matches at the finals.
This will be the first time an academy has hosted an entire World Cup football tournament, with all matches played on the Aspire Academy pitches, except November 27th’s final, which will be held at the neighbouring Khalifa International Stadium.
The 2025 tournament is the first of five that Qatar will host as the event becomes annual rather than biennial, and it is also the first to expand to feature 48 teams.
Aspire Academy boasts a total of 12 outdoor pitches, with eight of those to be used throughout the World Cup.
This means that during the group stages of the tournament, all eight pitches will be used each day.
The Academy, in collaboration with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, has worked to ensure that not only are the playing surfaces up to the standard required by football’s world governing body, but that all facilities are equipped to meet the highest international standards.
In preparation for the tournament, the upgrades included increased seating capacity for the pitches, security measures and improved access routes to the pitches.
It is not only the facilities that the Academy is providing, but also the players who will represent Qatar at the tournament, all of whom have been trained at Aspire Academy.
There are 11 current student-athletes on the squad, another six who graduated in June, and four more who are Aspire Academy-trained players, all under the guidance of QFA coach Alvaro Mejia.
Qatar will open their campaign on Monday, 3 November against Italy, before facing South Africa three days later, and completing their Group A fixtures on the 9th against Bolivia.
The top two from the 12 Groups and the best eight third-placed teams will progress to the knockout phase.