The 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup quarter-final action gets underway at Aspire Zone in Doha, with half of the sides chasing their first-ever semifinal spot.
The first match kicks off at 15:30 Doha time, with Austria taking on Japan. Neither side has ever reached the semi-finals. Japan have never passed this stage, while Austria are making only their third appearance in the competition.
At 16:30, Italy face Burkina Faso. Italy have never won the title and will be hoping to reach the semi-finals for the first time in 38 years. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso finished third in 2001.
At 17:45, Portugal meet Switzerland. Portugal have enjoyed success at Under-19 level, but surprisingly have never won the Under-17 title. The European Champions’ only semi-final appearance came in 1989, when they finished third. Switzerland, on the other hand, won the title in 2009 when Nigeria hosted the tournament, and remarkably it was their only appearance in the competition before coming to Doha.
The final quarterfinal at 18:45 sees Crowd favourites Morocco face Brazil. Much is expected from the north African giants as their Under-20 side won the World Cup a few weeks ago in Chile, while their senior team reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Surprisingly, they are making only their third appearance in the competition, and their best achievement was reaching the quarterfinals in the 2023 edition.
On the other side, Brazil are looking for their fifth World Cup title after surviving a tough game against France in the round of 16. They needed an 89th-minute equaliser from Pietro Tavares to force the game to penalties, before going through thanks to a couple of brilliant penalty saves from goalkeeper João Pedro.