Morocco have been placed in Group B of the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025, alongside Portugal, Japan, and New Caledonia, following the draw held in Doha on Sunday.
The tournament, set to take place in Qatar from 3 to 27 November, will be the first U17 World Cup to feature 48 teams, with matches spread across 12 groups.
The draw comes shortly after Morocco were crowned U17 Africa Cup of Nations champions for the first time in their history.
The Atlas Cubs will face a stern test in Group B, with European heavyweights Portugal and Asian contenders Japan among their opponents.
Morocco enter the tournament full of confidence after their penalty shootout victory over Mali in the final of the U17 AFCON earlier this month. The match ended 0-0 after 90 minutes, with goalkeeper Chouaib Belaarouch saving two spot-kicks to seal a 4-2 win in the shootout.
It marked Morocco’s first continental title at U17 level.
U17 World Cup 2025 group highlights:
Group A: Qatar, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia
Group C: Senegal, Croatia, Costa Rica, UAE
Group D: Argentina, Belgium, Tunisia, Fiji
Group E: England, Venezuela, Haiti, Egypt
Group F: Mexico, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Switzerland
Group G: Germany, Colombia, DPR Korea, El Salvador
Group H: Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia, Zambia
Group I: USA, Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, Czech Republic
Group J: Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Panama, Republic of Ireland
Group K: France, Chile, Canada, Uganda
Group L: Mali, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi Arabia
AloJapan.com