2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup

2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA U-20 Dünya Çempionatı Azərbaycan–Özbəkistan 2027
FIFA U-20 Jahon Chempionati Ozarbayjon–Oʻzbekiston 2027
Tournament details
Host countryAzerbaijan[a]
Uzbekistan
Teams24 (from 6[b] confederations)
← 2025
2029 →

The 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be the 25th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the biennial international men's youth football championship contested by the under-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. It will mark the 50th anniversary of the tournament.

The tournament will be co-hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, who are both hosting their second FIFA tournament, having respectively hosted the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup. It will also be the first FIFA youth tournament, as well as the second FIFA tournament overall, to be co-hosted by countries from two confederations, following the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Morocco are the defending champions.

Host selection

The following countries expressed interest in bidding:

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were announced as the 2027 U-20 World Cup hosts following the FIFA Council meeting on 2 October 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland.[5][6][7]

Preparations

  • On 15 December 2025, Azerbaijan set up their organising committee.[8]

Qualification

Venues

Six venues will be used to host the competition, three in each host country. A new 55,000-seat stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan is being constructed to meet FIFA's minimum requirement of 50,000 seats for the semi-finals and final.[9]

 Uzbekistan
Tashkent
Location map of the Uzbek venues
New Tashkent Stadium
Capacity: 55,000

Teams

A total of 24 teams qualify for the final tournament. In addition to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan who qualified automatically as hosts, the other 22 teams will qualify from six separate continental competitions. On 2 October 2025, the FIFA Council approved an amended slot allocation which includes the first ever intercontinental play-off series for a FIFA youth tournament.[10] The slot for the host nation will be taken directly from the quotas allocated to their confederation.

A four-team play-off tournament will decide the final slot in the competition. The play-off slot allocation is as follows:

  • AFC (Asia): 1 slot
  • CONMEBOL (South America): 1 slot
  • OFC (Oceania): 1 slot
  • UEFA (Europe):  Denmark[c]

The competition will be held at a neutral venue and will consist of two single leg semi-finals and a final, with the winner of the final qualifying.

Qualified teams

Qualifying tournament Team Qualification date Appearance(s) Previous best performance[A]
Total First Last Streak
Host nation  Azerbaijan[a] 2 October 2025 1st Debut
 Uzbekistan 6th 2003 2023 1 Quarter-finals (2013, 2015)
2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship[b]  Germany 1 July 2026 12th 1981 2017 1 Champions (1981)
 Spain 17th 1977 2025 2 Champions (1999)
 Ukraine 2 July 2026 6th 2001 2025 2 Champions (2019)
 Croatia 5 July 2026 4th 1999 2013 1 Round of 16 (1999, 2013)
2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship  Costa Rica 4 August 2026 10th 1989 2017 1 Fourth place (2009)
 United States 19th 1981 2025 7 Fourth place (1989)
 Canada 5 August 2026 9th 1979 2007 1 Quarter-finals (2003)
 Mexico 18th 1977 2025 2 Runners-up (1977)

UEFA boycott

On 30 July 2026, following FIFA's announcement of FIFA Forward Enterprise (a proposal to sell stakes in FIFA's tournament operations, including for the U-20 World Cup, to private investors), all 55 UEFA member associations agreed on an indefinite boycott of FIFA competitions until the proposal was shelved and assurances were made that such a proposal would not be tabulated again.[1][11] A day later on 31 July, the proposal was scrapped,[12] although UEFA stated that, regardless, it no longer trusts FIFA's governance.[13] Following written assurances that a similar proposal wouldn't be brought up, UEFA provisionally suspended its boycott for the 2026–27 season on August 27,[14][15][16][17] although it is currently unknown if the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup falls within that timeframe.

Notes

  1. ↑ Bold text indicates they hosted that edition.
  1. 1 2 Azerbaijan's host status may change if UEFA's boycott of FIFA competitions over the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal continues.[1]
  2. 1 2 European teams may withdraw if UEFA's boycott of FIFA competitions over the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal continues.[1]
  3. ↑ Denmark may withdraw from the inter-confederation play-off tournament if UEFA's boycott of FIFA competitions over the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal continues.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Stone, Simon (30 July 2026). "Uefa to boycott World Cups if Fifa plans approved". BBC News. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "O'zbekiston va Ozarbayjon 2027-yilgi FIFA U-20 Jahon chempionatini birgalikda o'tkazish bo'yicha FIFAga ariza yubordi". UFA.uz (in Uzbek). Uzbekistan Football Association. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  3. ↑ "Singapore and Indonesia express interest to co-host football's U-17, U-20 World Cup". The Straits Times. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan Submit Joint Bid to Host 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup". The Diplomatic Insight. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "FIFA Council calls for peace and takes key decisions on football governance". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "Xushxabar! O'zbekiston va Ozarbayjon 2027-yilgi FIFA U-20 Jahon chempionatiga mezbonlik qiladi". UFA.uz (in Uzbek). Uzbekistan Football Association. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Azərbaycan və Özbəkistan birgə U-20-lərin dünya çempionatına ev sahibliyi edəcəklər". AFFA.az (in Azerbaijani). Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  8. ↑ https://www.azernews.az/nation/251659.html
  9. ↑ "Ground broken on New Tashkent Stadium". Coliseum Global Sports Venue Alliance. 25 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "FIFA Council approves revised slot allocation for 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  11. ↑ "Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations". UEFA.com. 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Romero, Dennis (31 July 2026). "FIFA President nixes idea to sell stakes in World Cup to private equity investors". NBC News. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Rampling, Ali (1 August 2026). "UEFA has 'lost confidence' in Gianni Infantino, accuses him of 'shabby, back room' deal". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Martyn, Ziegler. "UEFA calls off threatened boycott of Fifa tournaments". The Times. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Nick, Ames; Hughes, Matt (26 August 2026). "Uefa to lift boycott threat after Fifa promises no World Cup sale repeat". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Johnson, Dale (26 August 2026). "Football news: Uefa to push forward with plans to remove Gianni Infantino after dropping boycott threat". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Statement by National Association representatives serving on the UEFA Executive Committee, European FIFA Council members and Presidents of UEFA National Associations". UEFA.com. UEFA. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
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