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The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 and FIFA today unveiled BOMA the Desert Owl as the official tournament mascot – a character inspired by the legendary Serbian coach Velibor “Bora” Milutinović, the only manager in football history to lead five different national teams in five consecutive FIFA World Cup™tournaments. The name “Boma,” is derived from the Arabic word for owl – regarded as a symbol of wisdom, vision, and mentorship, and is a playful nod to Bora, whose career as both coach and talent scout has profoundly influenced football development in Qatar and across the world. For a tournament that celebrates the emergence of new talent, BOMA embodies the pivotal role of a football scout – one who sees potential where others may not and helps young players spread their wings on the global stage. Known affectionately as Coach Bora, Milutinović guided Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, Nigeria, and China at five successive World Cups between 1986 and 2002 – a unique achievement unmatched in football history. He went on to coach Al Sadd SC of the Qatar Stars League in 2004, leading them to win the Amir Cup in the same year, and contributed to the country’s football development programmes, making him a fitting inspiration for this tournament’s mascot. Speaking to the LOC, Bora highlights the passion he holds for nurturing future footballers and the importance of the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 in celebrating tomorrow’s stars. “When it comes to discovering young talent, my greatest satisfaction as a coach has always been to promote emerging players – to show them that they must have the right attitude, believe in their dreams, and aim for the national team,” said Coach Bora. “I really like the idea behind the mascot and want to thank everyone who came up with it.” he added. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 marks a historic milestone as the first edition to feature 48 national teams, underscoring the tournament’s growing global reach. “The World Cup is something truly special. When you’re young, you dream of playing at the highest level – and the U-17 team is the first step on that journey. It’s very important for young players to face the best in the world and see where they stand,”said Coach Bora. “The team that scores more goals will win – it is as simple as that. But with young players, the outcome of matches often depends on inspiration, talent, and spirit. Most importantly, I hope everyone enjoys this World Cup. Enjoying the game is what truly matters, especially at the U-17 level, because that experience helps you grow both as a person and as an athlete,” he added. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, taking place at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex at Aspire Zone, will see as many as eight matches a day, for a total of 104 matches. The Final will take place on 27 November, 7pm local time, at Khalifa International Stadium. “Aspire Zone is incredible – it has some of the best facilities in the world. The U-17 World Cup will be played on perfect pitches, in perfect conditions. Qatar has a distinguished track record in hosting major events, and I’m sure we’ll see high-quality football once again. I still remember the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – it was unforgettable,” said Coach Bora. Fans can purchase tickets at: www.roadtoqatar.qa. Tickets are available as a Day Pass, which will enable fans to attend multiple matches a day as well as cultural and entertainment activities taking place around matches, in what will be an electrifying football festival-like atmosphere. Fans can also purchase a Prime Pass, which will enable them to reserve seats for high demand matches. Supporters of the Qatar national team can avail the Follow My Team ticket, which will enable them to attend all matches of the Qatari U-17 team during the group stage. All tickets will be digital and will include wheelchair accessible seating options for disabled fans. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ is the first of five consecutive editions that Qatar will be hosting. As the first FIFA World Cup™ to feature 48 teams, this will be the biggest-ever edition of the youth tournament that saw the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Luis Figo, Xavi Hernandez, Eden Hazard, Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Son Heung-min and Francesco Totti appear on the world stage for the first time. Qatar’s spectacular line-up of mega-sporting events will kick off with the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 from 3-27 November, followed by the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ from 1-18 December. In addition, the country is also set to host the second edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025, which will take place on 10, 13 and 17 December.

Only 10 days remain for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, which will see 48 teams from across the globe convene in Qatar from November 3-27 to compete for the coveted trophy.All eyes will be on Qatar, as the country gets set to host the youth tournament for the first time. The hosts will be looking to improve on their best finish, when they claimed fourth place in the 1991 edition of the tournament that took place in Italy – becoming the first Qatari team to reach the Third-Place Playoff.Jassim al-Tamimi, who captained the 1991 U-17 team at the time, recounts the country’s historic achievement 34 years ago and the significance that the tournament continues to hold for young players.“My beginnings were like any Qatari youth, playing football in the neighbourhood. When I was selected to be part of the team for the 1991 U-17 World Cup, it was a dream come true,” said al-Tamimi, who eventually played for the Qatar senior national team from 1996–2004.During the 1991 tournament, al-Tamimi’s squad was drawn into Group B, alongside Australia, Congo and Mexico. After a slow start with a 0-0 draw against Congo, and a 1-0 defeat to Mexico, al-Tamimi’s winning goal in the 76th minute against Australia, launched the Young Maroons out of the group stage.The team would go on to beat the USA in the quarter-finals, before losing to eventual champions Ghana in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals. Despite narrowly losing to Argentina in the third-place Playoff, the Young Maroons made history by finishing fourth in the tournament.“We became the first Qatari team in the youth category to make it to this stage. This was a tremendous achievement. The joy was indescribable and the whole country was celebrating with us. This experience became the gateway to my football career,” said al-Tamimi, who went on to achieve 100 caps for his country.With Qatar now set to make its eighth appearance at the tournament, a new generation of players will be looking to make the country proud. Hosts Qatar have been drawn into Group A, alongside Italy, South Africa and Bolivia, and will play their first match against Italy on November 3, 6:45pm.“Playing in the U-17 World Cup will be an unforgettable experience for our young players. I hope it becomes a wonderful memory for them, just like it was for me. It is an honour for any player to represent their national team at the highest level,” said al-Tamimi.“Hosting tournaments such as the World Cup in Qatar will serve as a launch point for emerging talents and future stars. Qatar has already surpassed many developed football nations in terms of its sporting infrastructure and organisational abilities. It is now time for our young players to put Qatar amongst the top-ranked teams in the world,” he added.The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025, taking place at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex at Aspire Zone, will see as many as eight matches a day, for a total of 104 matches. The final will take place on November 27, 7pm, at Khalifa International Stadium.Fans can purchase tickets at: www.roadtoqatar.qa Tickets are available as a Day Pass, which will enable fans to attend multiple matches a day as well as cultural and entertainment activities taking place around matches, in what will be an electrifying football festival-like atmosphere.Fans can also purchase a Prime Pass, which will enable them to reserve seats for high demand matches. Supporters of the Qatar national team can avail the Follow My Team ticket, which will enable them to attend all matches of the Qatari U-17 team during the group stage.All tickets will be digital and will include wheelchair accessible seating options for disabled fans.The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar is the first of five consecutive editions that Qatar will be hosting. As the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams, this will be the biggest-ever edition of the youth tournament that saw the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Luis Figo, Xavi Hernandez, Eden Hazard, Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Son Heung-min and Francesco Totti appear on the world stage for the first time.Qatar’s spectacular line-up of mega-sporting events will kick off with the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar from November 3-27, followed by the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar from December 1-18. In addition, the country is also set to host the second edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025, which will take place on December 10, 13 and 17.

Football fans from across the region are set to be treated to an exciting FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 trophy experience organised by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) ahead of the tournament. As part of the tour, a dedicated booth will be set up at the following venues, allowing fans to learn more about the upcoming tournament and take photographs with the prestigious trophy: Saudi Arabia Red Sea Mall (Jeddah) | 15-19 OctoberThe Boulevard (Riyadh) | 12-16 NovemberAl Nakheel Mall (Dammam) | 19 – 23 November BahrainThe Avenues Mall | 15-19 October KuwaitThe Avenues Mall | 29 October – 2 November OmanThe Avenues Mall | 29 October – 2 November UAEDubai Mall (Dubai) | 5-9 November Yas Mall (Abu Dhabi) | 5-9 November The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 will take place from 1-18 December across six stadiums that previously hosted matches during the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Fans can purchase FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 tickets exclusively on: www.roadtoqatar.qa, with prices starting from QAR 25. Supporters can also purchase a Follow My Team ticket, which will enable them to attend all matches of their team of choice during the group stage. All tickets are digital and include accessible seating options for disabled fans.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025 presented by Aramco and FIFA have announced that Qatar will host the final three matches of the prestigious club competition in December of this year. The annual competition will crown the best club in world football for 2025, with teams vying for the FIFA Derby of the Americas™, FIFA Challenger Cup™ and FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ trophies. Matches will take place on 10, 13 and 17 December. Qatar has successfully hosted the annual club showpiece three times before, in 2019, 2020 and most recently in 2024 when Real Madrid were crowned club champions in front of a sell-out crowd at theiconic 80-000-seater Lusail Stadium, host of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ final match. The following matches will be played in Qatar: Match 3: 10 December 2025, Doha, Qatar | FIFA Derby of the Americas™ Concacaf Champions Cup 2025 winners, Cruz Azul (Mexico) vs Winners of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores 2025 Match 4: 13 December, 2025, Doha, Qatar | FIFA Challenger Cup™ CAF Champions League 2025 champions, Pyramids FC (Egypt) vs Winners of Match 3 Match 5: 17 December, 2025, Doha, Qatar | FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ UEFA Champions Leagues 2025 champions, Paris Saint-Germain (France) vs Winners of Match 4 The FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025™ adds to an exciting two months of world-class football in the country. Qatar is also set to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ from 3 - 27 November 2025, as well as the FIFA Arab Cup 2025™, the second edition of the regional tournament, from 1 - 18 December 2025. The FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025 will take place during the rest days of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, showcasing Qatar’s ability to host multiple sporting events at the same time. All tournament venues will be connected seamlessly to public transportation and will offer barrier-free experience to disabled fans. For all tournament related updates, follow @RoadtoQatar on all major social media platforms.

HE Minister of Sports and Youth and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 and FIFA U-17 World Cup Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani affirmed that the committee's partners and sponsors will play a pivotal role in delivering an exceptional hosting experience for the upcoming tournaments in Qatar.This statement came during a ceremony held Saturday by the organising committee at Stadium 974, where the official sponsors of both tournaments, scheduled to take place in November and December, were announced.In his speech, HE the minister stated that the committee's partnership with these companies reflects the prestigious status and global reach of these tournaments, which will unite fans from across the region and the world in celebration of their shared passion for football.During the event, sponsorship agreements were signed with several Qatari companies, including Visit Qatar, the entity responsible for marketing and promoting Qatar's tourism sector, and Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar and a recipient of numerous prestigious awards.The list of sponsors also includes Media City Qatar, which brings together media firms and content creators, and Aspetar, the world-renowned orthopedic and sports medicine hospital.The ceremony also featured the announcement of global hospitality firm Beyond Hospitality as the official hospitality provider for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, offering premium packages including hospitality suites and other exclusive experiences for fans attending the highly anticipated sporting event.Qatar will host the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 from December 1 to 18, with matches played across six World Cup stadiums. Sixteen national teams will compete for the title, including nine top-ranked teams that have automatically qualified through FIFA rankings, while 14 others will vie for the remaining seven spots in a qualifying series to be held in Doha this November.Meanwhile, the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 will take place from November 3 to 27. This year's edition marks the first of five consecutive annual tournaments to be hosted by Qatar through 2029, featuring 48 national teams, a historic expansion in the tournament's format.Matches will be held at Aspire Zone's competition complex, with the final set to take place at Khalifa International Stadium.