In a major change for the international soccer world, FIFA has officially announced that the U17 Men's and Women's World Cups will become annual tournaments starting in 2025, upgrading the format from biennial to annual. The men's tournament will increase from 24 to 48 teams, while the women's tournament will expand from 16 to 24 teams. FIFA's reform is intended to provide a stage for more young talent to show off in order to gain wider attention and recognition.
This change is a shot in the arm for both the Chinese men's and women's soccer teams, as the expansion of the U17 World Cup provides the Chinese U17 men's and women's soccer teams with more opportunities to reach out to the top teams in Asia and the world. The Chinese men's soccer team only needs to break through in the group stage of the upcoming U17 Asian Cup, and then it is expected to get a ticket to the U17 World Cup. As for the Chinese women's soccer team, it has already locked up a spot in the U17 Women's World Cup with its top-five finish in the U17 Women's Asian Cup!
With a new generation of players emerging, the overall strength of Chinese soccer will also see a qualitative leap. By then, we have reason to believe that the Chinese soccer team will be able to challenge the top teams in Asian soccer and return to the World Cup stage, which is no longer a distant fantasy!
