Venue
Al Waab Street, Baaya, Al Rayyan, Qatar
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FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 guide
Future stars on adjoining Aspire pitches.
In short
Football fans can watch 48 national teams compete at Aspire Zone in Al Rayyan from 19 November to 13 December 2026, across 104 matches starting with Qatar against Panama. Several games often run side by side, and crowds were small in 2025, so you can sit close to the action. Check the schedule and plan multiple matches a day.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026 brings 48 national teams of teenage footballers to a single sports campus in Al Rayyan. Over almost four weeks, the best young players from six confederations chase the title on adjoining pitches, often several games running side by side on the same afternoon.
Qatar hosts every edition from 2025 to 2029, so this is now a fixture on Doha's calendar. It is a chance to see future senior internationals at close range. In 2025 the average crowd was under a thousand, so you sit near enough to hear the coaches shouting instructions.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 13 December 2026
Where: Al Rayyan, Qatar
Venue: Aspire Zone
Held: One-off event
Type of event: Sporting Events, Live Events
Currency: Qatari riyal (QAR, QR)
Time zone: Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3
Language: Arabic
Map
Close to the venue
- Khalifa International Stadium Attraction · 0 m
- 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Attraction · 210 m
- Aspire Tower (The Torch Doha) Attraction · 350 m
- Villaggio Mall Attraction · 600 m
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Digital tickets, purchase limits and the presale
Every ticket is digital, so arrive with your phone charged and the ticket loaded before you reach the gate.
- Sales run through fifa.com/tickets, with roadtoqatar.qa named as the local channel. Avoid resale offers from other sites.
- Day Passes are capped at six per person per matchday, Prime Match Passes at four per person per main pitch per matchday, and final tickets at six per person.
- Visa is FIFA's preferred card, and Visa holders had first access before general sale opened on 26 October.
- A Day Pass lets you move between several matches that day, but a reserved seat at a busy game needs a Prime Match Pass.
The Fan Zone and outer pitches
A Day Pass also opens the Fan Zone, themed TMRW's GOAT, with cultural and entertainment activities between matches. Use it as your base when you are waiting for the next kick-off.
Stands at the outer pitches are compact and close to the touchline. Keep flags and banners modest so you do not block the view of fans behind you, and remember these are under-17 players: cheering is welcome, abuse of young players is not. Bring water, sunglasses and a hat for the first afternoon games, and a light layer for evening matches.
Booking wheelchair-accessible seats
Wheelchair-accessible seating is available across the tournament. Accessibility tickets cost the same as a standard Day Pass for most matches and less for the final, and each one includes a free companion ticket and an accessible parking pass.
Accessible seats must be requested through the organisers' accessibility ticketing email. Parking passes for disabled fans are limited and handed out closer to match days on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early.
What happens on the day
- Saturday to Wednesday, 15:30
First kick-offs
The early slot of the matchday.
- Saturday to Wednesday, 18:30
Last kick-offs
The final round of games starts as the evening cools.
- Thursday and Friday, 16:00
Later start
Everything moves back half an hour on these days.
- Thursday and Friday, 19:00
Last kick-offs
The final slot on the late-start days.
- 13 December, 19:00
The final
Final tickets are sold separately from Day Passes.
Planning around matchdays at Aspire Zone
This tournament works differently from a senior World Cup. Every match before the final is played inside one sports campus, the Competition Complex at Aspire Zone, where up to eight games take place on a single day across neighbouring pitches. You can watch two or three countries in one afternoon without leaving the site, and a Day Pass is built for exactly that.
Start with the fixture list. Pick the days that matter to you: the opening game on 19 November, a group with a team you follow, or the knockout rounds, when the field narrows quickly from 32 to the last four. High-demand games are steered to Pitch 2 and Pitch 7, which carry reserved seating under the Prime Match Pass. Buy those first, since each person can hold only four per pitch per matchday.
Qatar's five annual editions of the tournament
FIFA moved its under-17 tournament onto an annual cycle in 2025 and gave Qatar the first five editions, through 2029. The 2026 event is the second of those. It is also only the second with 48 teams, and the format mirrors the senior game: twelve groups of four, with the top two and the eight best third-placed sides going through to a round of 32.
The bigger field has opened the door to newcomers, and Vietnam and Mozambique are among the countries playing at this level for the first time. Some famous names are absent. Portugal, the champions of 2025, did not qualify, and neither did England. Brazil and Argentina lead the list of established football powers who did make it.
Part of the appeal is spotting players before they become famous. Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who now plays for FC Barcelona, starred at the 2025 edition and made his senior World Cup debut the following summer. The pitches themselves honour Qatari football history. Each is named after a former national team player, so a match on Pitch 7 is played in the name of Mansour Muftah, and Pitch 8 carries the name of Mahmoud Soufi.
Getting there
Flying in
Hamad International Airport has direct flights from across Asia, including Bangkok and Dhaka.
By metro
Ride the Red Line north from the airport to Msheireb, then change to the Gold Line towards Al Aziziyah. Sport City, the second-to-last stop, serves Khalifa International Stadium and Aspire Zone. A ride costs 2 riyals on a Standard card.
Friday timetable
The metro runs from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on most days, but on Fridays from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday kick-offs start at 4 p.m., so the trains run in time.
By road
Karwa taxis and ride-hailing apps cover the route easily, and there is parking inside the complex. Fans with accessibility tickets receive an accessible parking pass closer to match days.
On site
The campus is large. Check which pitch your match is on and allow time to walk between the stadium, the Aspire Dome and the outer pitches.
Where to stay during the festival
Think about the metro first. Hotels near Al Sadd, Bin Mahmoud or Msheireb stations on the Gold Line put you a short ride from the gates, and Msheireb, where three lines meet, suits anyone staying for the whole tournament.
To walk to matches, look at Al Waab or the streets around Aspire Tower.
Doha
Mandarin Oriental, Doha5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$307.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
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Doha
Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli5-star hotel
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from$69.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
10 Rooms available
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Doha
Alwadi Hotel Doha - MGallery5-star hotel
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from$125.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
6 Rooms available
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Weather and what to pack
November and December are the pleasant months in Qatar. Doha averages a high of about 30°C in November and 25°C in December, with lows of 22°C and 17°C, and very little rain: around 11 mm in November and 18 mm in December (Qatar Meteorological Department, 1992-2021 normals).
The late-afternoon kick-offs avoid the strongest sun, and evenings in December can feel cool.
Worth packing
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap for afternoon games
- A light layer for December evenings
- A refillable water bottle
- A Doha Metro Standard card
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees in public places
Car hire in Al Rayyan
Airport transfer to FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026
Met at arrivals at Hamad International Airport (DOH) and driven door to door to Aspire Zone.
- Hamad International Airport (DOH) → Aspire Zone
- 20 km · 25 min
Restaurants and food in Qatar
Places to eat in Qatar before or after the celebrations.
Argan
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel, Al Jasra Street, Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:MoroccanNorth African
- Dine-in
Bayt Sharq
Al Doha Gardens, Al Sharq Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Private room
Jiwan
4th Floor, National Museum of Qatar, Museum Park Street, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:QatariMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
IDAM by Alain Ducasse
5th Floor, Museum of Islamic Art, Corniche Promenade, Doha, Qatar
Cuisine:Contemporary FrenchMediterranean
- Dine-in
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Prices & payment
A Day Pass starts at QAR 20 per matchday and lets you watch several games that day. Reserved seats for big matches cost QAR 35, and final tickets range from QAR 15 to QAR 35 by category.
General
Yes, that is the point of the Day Pass. With up to eight games a day on neighbouring pitches in the group stage and round of 32, you can move from one match to the next on a single ticket.
FIFA's schedule and most reports place the 13 December final at Khalifa International Stadium, although one ticketing report named Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Check the venue printed on your ticket before travelling.
Portugal took their first title by beating Austria 1-0 in the final at Khalifa International Stadium. Neither finalist qualified for the 2026 edition, so a new champion is guaranteed.
Yes. FIFA awarded Qatar five consecutive editions, from 2025 to 2029, so the tournament is expected back every year until the end of the decade.
Each one honours a former Qatar international. Names include Mohammed Ghanim, Badr Bilal, Khalid Salman and Adel Ahmed Malalla, a nod to the country's own football history.
The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum was built into Khalifa International Stadium during its renovation, so you can fill a rest day without leaving the sports complex.
Timing & weather
The draw took place in Zurich on 21 May 2026. Qatar, as hosts, were placed in position A1, and the other teams were seeded by their results over the previous five U-17 World Cups.
Very close. It sits inside Khalifa International Stadium, within the same complex as the pitches, so a visit fits neatly before an afternoon kick-off.
Booking
The 2025 final, in which Portugal beat Austria, drew 38,901 spectators. Group matches on the training pitches are far smaller, which is part of their charm.
Forty-eight teams play 104 matches. Twelve groups of four feed a round of 32, which takes the eight best third-placed teams along with every group winner and runner-up.