New Zealand Draws Favorable Seeding for FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup 2025

WELLINGTON (AP) — New Zealand’s national U-17 men’s team has secured a favorable position ahead of the revamped FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup 2025, having been placed in Pot 2 of the tournament’s seeding draw.

The draw will be held on Monday, May 26 (NZT) and will determine the composition of the 12 groups for the newly expanded 48-team format. This will be the tournament’s first edition under the updated structure, following FIFA’s decision to host the event annually and to double the number of participating nations from 24 to 48.

The 2025 competition, hosted by Qatar, is scheduled to run from November 3 to 27.

Being in Pot 2 ensures that New Zealand avoids a group-stage matchup with some of the game’s elite youth programs, such as Italy, Belgium, Colombia, and South Korea, all of whom share the same pot. Instead, they will be drawn against one nation from each of the other three pots.

Powerhouse nations including Brazil, France, Argentina, Germany, England, and host nation Qatar feature in Pot 1, while New Caledonia, Oceania’s other qualifier, has been placed in Pot 3. New Zealand booked their ticket to the World Cup by winning the 2024 OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, with New Caledonia finishing as runners-up.

This will mark a new chapter for the youth tournament, with Qatar set to host it for five consecutive years, beginning in 2025—a move that underscores FIFA’s push for consistency and long-term development in youth football.

Full Pot Breakdown:

Pot 1: Qatar, Brazil, France, Mali, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, England, Paraguay, United States, Senegal
Pot 2: South Korea, Italy, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Belgium, Chile, New Zealand, Croatia, Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, Burkina Faso
Pot 3: Costa Rica, Tajikistan, Indonesia, North Korea, Panama, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, New Caledonia, Canada, South Africa, Austria, Haiti
Pot 4: Bolivia, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, UAE, Uganda, Zambia

New Zealand will learn its group-stage opponents next week, with hopes high for a deep run in the new-look global competition.