The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is set to be a landmark event in global youth football, with the tournament expanding to an unprecedented 48 teams for the first time.
Scheduled to take place later this year in Qatar, the event marks the beginning of an annual cycle for the competition, with the Gulf nation hosting from 2025 to 2029.
However, for Indian football fans, the excitement surrounding the tournament has been overshadowed by disappointment, as the Indian U-17 national team, known as the Blue Colts, failed to qualify for the U-17 AFC Asian Cup— a crucial stepping stone to the World Cup.
A Missed Opportunity in a Historic Tournament
The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 boasts an impressive lineup of teams, including powerhouses like France, Germany, Brazil, and Japan, alongside emerging nations such as Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, and Uganda.
The expansion to 48 teams—up from the previous 24-team format—offered a golden opportunity for nations like India to make their mark on the global stage.
Qatar, fresh off hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, was chosen by FIFA in March 2024 to host the U-17 tournament annually for five years, a decision aimed at leveraging the country’s world-class infrastructure while fostering youth football development globally.
For India, however, the road to Qatar ended before it even began. To qualify for the U-17 World Cup, teams must first secure a spot in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, which serves as the continental qualifier. India was placed in Group D of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers alongside Turkmenistan, Brunei, and Thailand.
The Blue Colts needed to either finish as group winners or rank among the top five second-placed teams to advance. Despite a promising start, including a victory that kept their hopes alive, India faltered in their final group match.
A draw would have positioned them among the best second-placed teams, while a win would have guaranteed automatic qualification. Unfortunately, the team could not secure the necessary result, missing out on the Asian Cup and, by extension, the World Cup.
A Pattern of Disappointment
India’s failure to qualify for the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup marks a significant regression for the program. The Blue Colts had qualified for the previous three editions of the tournament, raising hopes of consistent progress in youth football.
Their absence this time around has reignited debates about the state of Indian football, particularly at the grassroots and youth levels.
India’s hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017—where the Blue Colts competed as hosts but failed to win a match—had sparked optimism for the future.
However, nearly a decade later, the country appears to be moving backward rather than forward.
Systemic Issues and the Bibiano Fernandes Factor
A significant point of contention in the discourse surrounding India’s U-17 team is the decision to part ways with former coach Bibiano Fernandes in 2023.
Fernandes, who stepped down to join Bengaluru FC’s reserve team, had a successful tenure with India’s youth teams. Under his leadership, the India U-15s won the SAFF Championship in 2017, and the U-16s reached the quarter-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship in 2018—a historic achievement for Indian football.
Fernandes’ departure appears to have left a void in the U-17 setup, with the team struggling to replicate the progress made under his guidance.
His success at the youth level was built on a strong structure and a focus on player development—elementsthat seem to be lacking in the current setup. The AIFF’s inability to nurture and retain coaching talent, coupled with a lack of consistent grassroots programs, has hindered India’s ability to compete with other Asian nations like Japan, South Korea, and Uzbekistan, all of whom qualified for the U-17 World Cup.
The Road Ahead
India’s absence from the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the country’s football ecosystem.
While the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams offered a rare opportunity, the Blue Colts’ failure to even reach the AFC U-17 Asian Cup underscores the need for urgent reforms.
The AIFF must prioritize grassroots development, improve coaching structures, and foster better coordination between clubs and national teams. Bringing back experienced coaches like Bibiano Fernandes could be a step in the right direction, but it will take a concerted effort from all stakeholders—federation, clubs, players, and fans—to turn the tide.
As the world prepares to watch the next generation of football stars in Qatar, Indian fans can only hope that their team will one day join the global stage. For now, the focus must be on rebuilding, learning from past mistakes, and creating a sustainable pathway for young talent to thrive.
The dream of seeing the Blue Colts compete at a FIFA World Cup remains alive—but it will require bold action and unwavering commitment to make it a reality.
