The 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be the 24th 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 be held in Chile from 27 September to 19 October 2025.[1][2]
Reigning champions Uruguay could not defend their title as they finished fifth in the 2025 South American U-20 Championship. In doing so, they became the eighth consecutive title holders to fail to qualify for the subsequent tournament.
Host selection
Chile were announced as the 2025 U-20 World Cup hosts following the FIFA Council meeting on 17 December 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[1] It is believed the decision was made as a compensation for Chile losing hosting rights for the 2030 FIFA World Cup to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, as Chile was the only nation in the four-nation bid of Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay not included in the eventual outcome for the opening matches.[3][4]
This is the second time that Chile will host the tournament, after doing so in 1987. Only Australia (1981, 1993) and Argentina (2001, 2023) have also hosted the tournament multiple times.
Venues
On 18 December 2023, Pablo Milad, president of the Football Federation of Chile, revealed a preliminary list with 12 stadia in 10 cities. Milad also announced that between four and six stadia will be chosen by FIFA for the final tournament.[5][6]
A total of 24 teams qualify for the final tournament. In addition to Chile, who qualified automatically as the hosts, 23 other teams qualify through six separate continental competitions. The slot allocation remain unchanged from the previous editions and was confirmed by the FIFA Council on the same day the host country was announced.[1]
The 24 teams were organised into four pots of six teams based on a performance ranking system, in order to be subsequently drawn into six groups of four teams. The hosts Chile were automatically seeded to Pot 1 and assigned into the first position of Group A, while the remaining teams were seeded into pots based on their results in the last five FIFA U-20 World Cups (with more recent tournaments weighted more heavily), and with five bonus points added to each of the six continental champions from the qualifying tournaments, as follows:[11]
First match(es) will be played: 27 September 2025. Source: FIFA Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) fair play points; 5) drawing of lots.
Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, if a match is level at the end of 90 minutes of normal playing time, extra time is played (two periods of 15 minutes each). If the score is still tied after extra time, the match will be decided by a penalty shoot-out.[16]
In the round of 16, the four third-placed teams will be matched with the winners of groups A, B, C, and D. The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depend on which four third-placed teams qualified for the round of 16:[16]
The Emblem was revealed on 5 February 2025. It draws inspiration from Chile’s unique geography and heritage. The design prominently features elements such as the Andes Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the vibrant colors of Chilean culture, reflecting the nation’s deep love for football. The emblem is expected to resonate with both local fans and the global football community.[17]
Mascot
The mascot was revealed on 22 May 2025. His name is Vito, a viscacha characteristic of the region. Considered sociable, charming, and energetic, this animal resembles a rabbit or chinchilla.[18]
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