The Republic of Ireland learned who their opponents will be at this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup yesterday, with Colin O’Brien’s side drawn alongside Panama, Uzbekistan, and Paraguay in Group J.
This will mark Ireland’s first appearance in this particular tournament, having qualified as a result of their second placed finish in their qualifying group (featuring Belgium, Poland, and Iceland) back in March.
The newly expanded 48-team tournament will take place in Qatar in November, with the format mirroring the one we will see in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
With more teams taking part and a more even spread of slots across the various confederations, it’s fair to say that this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup features a very intriguing lineup.
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Ireland Will Debut At FIFA U17 World Cup That Features Odd Lineup
This will be the first year of a new format for the FIFA U17 World Cup. Not only has it been expanded to 48 teams, but it will also now take place every year as opposed to the previous two year gap. The changes came into effect as a result of a report headed by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger.
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Considering the amount of teams included, as well as the often unpredictable nature of youth football, it is perhaps not a surprise to see a rather unusual lineup of teams at this particular tournament.
It features many of the big hitters that you would expect in the likes of Brazil, Argentina, England, Germany, France, and Italy.
However, it also features some less traditional footballing nations.
A quick look through the list of participants will reveals the likes of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Fiji, El Salvador, and New Caledonia.
The inclusion of southern Pacific French territory of New Caledonia is a particularly interesting one, with the nation having a population of less than 300,000. However, this is their third appearance in the event since 2017, so they are clearly putting strong foundations in place within their association.
Ireland will be one of five debutants, with Fiji, Uganda, Zambia, and El Salvador also making their first appearances at U17 level.
Here is the list of participating nations in full.
The diverse list of participants is partly down to the amount of qualification places granted to each confederation. Unlike the FIFA World Cup, which is traditionally dominated by European and South American teams, there is a more even spread in the U17 version.
For example, UEFA were given 11 slots for this tournament, as opposed to the 16 they will receive in the men’s World Cup in 2026. That has allowed qualification opportunities to less traditional footballing nations.
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