Everything You Need to Know About the FIFA U-17 World Cup

With qualification for Russia 2018 taking center stage, it’s been hard to notice anything else in the world of football. First there was the CONMEBOL drama which included some players having to use gas masks. Then there was the Syrians forcing Australia to a draw and then England, Nigeria, among other countries, qualifying for the FIFA tournament next summer.

Amongst all the noise, a FIFA tournament kicked off. Teenage footballers from all over the world converged in India to take part in the FIFA U-17 World Cup which started only a couple of days back.

You are forgiven if you missed the memo. Most people did too. But that’s why we’re here for you, to keep you up to speed as regards happenings in the world of sports with helpful posts on this blog. If you haven’t been reading this blog, time to bookmark the page now.

Apologies for the digression. We had to blow our own whistle a bit. Now, what exactly do you need to know about the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India?

1. The Duration and the Participants

The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup is the 17th edition of the tournament. The biennial international football tournament will take place between the 6^th of October and the 28^th of October. 24 countries will be participating in the tournament this year as youngsters from around the world will be looking to impress the football scouts who will definitely be watching this one closely to snap up the brightest talents.

2. How the Competition Will be Played

The 24 teams are divided into six groups lettered A-F. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the round of 16. This leaves space for four teams. These remaining four teams will be the four best third-placed teams of the tournament.

If two or more teams are equal on all the normal basis for qualification, their rankings will then be determined with the following:

• points obtained in the group matches between the concerned teams
• goal difference in the group matches between the concerned teams
• number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams in question

Fair play points will also be considered like:

• first yellow card: minus 1 point
• indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points
• direct red card: minus 4 points
• yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points
• drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.

The second round of group games will begin on Monday.

On a curious note though, have you been able to watch any games in the FIFA U-17 competition so far? Which one did you watch and how did it turn out? Interesting? Boring? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

Tags: FIFA U-17 World Cup