Doha, Qatar: The semifinal lineup of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is now complete, with three European teams, Italy, Austria, and Portugal, taking center stage. The tournament, held at Aspire Zone, runs through November 27.
Africa's journey in the tournament came to an end with the exits of Morocco and Burkina Faso, while Brazil preserved South America's presence. Japan, Asia's last representative, also bowed out.
None of the four quarterfinal matches required penalty shootouts, unlike the Round of 16. Brazil edged Morocco 2-1 with a dramatic stoppage-time winner by standout player Vinson Wanderley Dell, eliminating the last Arab team in the competition.
Earlier, Egypt and Tunisia exited in the Round of 32, following the group-stage departures of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Portugal defeated Switzerland 2-0 in an all-European clash, ending the Swiss hopes of a second title after their 2009 triumph. Italy continued their strong run, with Thomas Campaniello scoring the decisive goal in the 83rd minute to eliminate Burkina Faso.
The semifinals will see Portugal face Brazil on Monday, while Italy and Austria meet in an all-European showdown.
The quarterfinals featured seven goals across four matches, averaging 1.7 goals per game. Brazil, a four-time champion, remains in contention for a record-tying fifth title, aiming to match Nigeria's all-time high. Brazil's last title came in 2019, with previous wins in 1997, 1999, and 2003.
So far, the tournament has hosted 100 matches, 72 in the group stage, 16 in the Round of 32, 8 in the Round of 16, and 4 in the quarterfinals, with 78 wins, 22 draws, and 323 goals scored, averaging 3.2 goals per match. A total of 41 penalties have been awarded (25 converted, 16 missed), along with 309 yellow cards and 24 red cards.
On the scoring charts, Portugal's Anisio Cabral and Austria's Johannes Moser lead with six goals each. Brazil's Dell moved into third place with five goals after his brace against Morocco.
Eleven players are tied with four goals, including Ziyad Baha and Ismail El Oud (Morocco), Reagan Heskey (England), Hassan DE Shoko (Austria), Kim Yoo-jin (North Korea), Raymond Bomba (Mali), and others from Portugal, Italy, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
Following the quarterfinals, the remaining teams will rest today and tomorrow before the semifinals resume. The final and third-place match are scheduled for November 27.
This edition marks the first time the U-17 World Cup features 48 teams and is the first of five consecutive editions to be hosted by Qatar through 2029.
