Geneva, March 15 (IANS): Qatar will be host of the next five editions of the U-17 World Cup from 2025, FIFA announced on Thursday.
In the same period, Morocco will stage the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup from 2025 to 2029, reported Xinhua.
The two competitions will be held annually rather than biennially from 2025, as part of the football governing body's commitment to youth football.
The FIFA Council also announced that the FIFA U-17 World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams, and the women's counterpart will be expanded to 24 teams.
"These decisions followed a global call for expressions of interest in hosting both competitions, with a focus on leveraging the use of existing footballing infrastructure in the interest of tournament efficiencies and sustainability," FIFA said in its statement.