Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to Host 24 Teams at 2027 U-20 World Cup From September 17

A 23-day tournament across two host nations

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will jointly host the FIFA U-20 World Cup from September 17 to October 9, 2027, bringing 24 national teams together for a tournament that will mark Azerbaijan's first appearance in the competition and Uzbekistan's seventh.

The Bureau of the FIFA Council approved the dates at its October 22 meeting, according to announcements attributed to the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) and the Uzbekistan Football Association. The competition will run for 23 calendar days, counting both the opening and closing dates.

The decision gives the two hosts a fixed timetable after the FIFA Council awarded them the tournament on October 2, 2025, in Zurich. The FIFA Council announcement confirmed their appointment as joint hosts at that meeting. It also brings together countries from two different branches of international football: Azerbaijan belongs to UEFA, which governs European football, while Uzbekistan belongs to the Asian Football Confederation.

The 2027 edition will be the first FIFA U-20 World Cup jointly hosted by countries from different continental confederations. Both host teams will qualify automatically, giving their young players a guaranteed place in a competition whose current champion is Morocco, winner of the 2025 tournament in Chile.

What the dates mean for teams and supporters

September 17 is now the starting point for the tournament schedule, with the competition ending on October 9. For national teams, those dates provide a target for preparation. For supporters, they identify the period in which matches will take place across the two countries.

The host cities, stadiums, allocation of matches between the countries, detailed fixture schedule and ticket sale dates have not yet been announced. Those details will determine where individual teams play and which journeys supporters need to make.

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan therefore have two connected tasks: preparing to welcome visiting teams and arranging a competition across national and confederation boundaries. The dates settle the tournament window; the venue and match announcements will give that window a practical shape for players and spectators.

How the 24 places will be filled

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan take two of the 24 places through their status as hosts. That leaves 22 places for other national teams, meaning the hosts together account for one twelfth of the field.

Teams from all six continental confederations are expected to participate. These organisations oversee football in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North and Central America and the Caribbean, and South America. They organise regional competitions that help decide which national teams advance to FIFA tournaments.

The qualification arrangements described alongside the announcement put the remaining places through continental youth championships, with the final berth decided by an intercontinental playoff. A playoff is a deciding contest for a remaining place; an intercontinental playoff brings together teams from different confederations.

The U-20 World Cup is a national team competition for young players, rather than a tournament for professional clubs. Players represent their countries, so the event offers a different setting from the domestic leagues in which many develop. The two host associations will be preparing their own teams while also helping organise the event.

A first appearance for Azerbaijan, a return for Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan will host a men's FIFA World Cup tournament for the first time. Automatic qualification will also take its U-20 national team into the final tournament for the first time, giving the country a sporting milestone alongside its responsibilities as an organiser.

Uzbekistan brings more experience of this particular competition. The 2027 tournament will be its seventh appearance, and its best results remain quarterfinal finishes in 2013 and 2015. Those two campaigns took Uzbekistan into the final eight teams.

The contrast gives the partnership a distinct character. Azerbaijan will be making its debut at this level, while Uzbekistan will seek to build on previous runs into the later rounds. Both will have the opportunity to play in a tournament they are helping stage.

Uzbekistan also hosted the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2024. Futsal is a separate form of football played on a smaller court, usually indoors, with five players on each team. That event gave the country recent experience of welcoming national teams for a FIFA world competition, although the 2027 tournament will involve the outdoor game.

A new edition with Morocco as the reigning champion

The 2027 competition will be the 25th edition of the U-20 World Cup, which began in 1977 and is generally held every two years. Its long history makes it an established international stage for players approaching senior national team football.

Morocco won the 2025 edition in Chile and holds the trophy as preparations turn toward Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. That places the next tournament in a different regional setting, moving from South America to a partnership between a UEFA member and an Asian Football Confederation member.

The Uzbekistan Football Association has described the U-20 World Cup as FIFA's second most prestigious national team tournament after the senior World Cup. For the hosts, its immediate value is concrete: their young national teams will face international opposition at home, and local spectators will be able to watch a global youth competition in their own countries.

The brand has already appeared across Baku

The tournament's official brand was presented on October 16, before the announcement of the playing dates. Its Azerbaijani slogan, "Bu oyun sənlikdir", means "This game is for you" and is directed at young footballers and the supporters following them.

The launch used projections on two prominent Baku landmarks: the Maiden Tower and Baku Olympic Stadium. Those displays introduced the tournament's visual identity in Azerbaijan's capital, connecting a historic city landmark with a major sporting venue.

Supporters can register through FIFA's ticket information page to receive updates about sales. The registration process gives interested fans a way to follow the next announcements while the match locations and ticket arrangements are being prepared.

The main dates in the tournament's development

The hosting decision and the confirmation of the playing window are separate steps. The FIFA Council selected the countries in 2025; the Bureau of the FIFA Council subsequently fixed the dates on which the competition will take place.

• October 2, 2025: The FIFA Council awarded joint hosting rights to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan at its meeting in Zurich.
• October 16: The official tournament brand was presented, including projections at the Maiden Tower and Baku Olympic Stadium.
• October 22: The Bureau of the FIFA Council approved the tournament dates, according to the host associations' announcements.
• September 17, 2027: The U-20 World Cup begins.
• October 9, 2027: The tournament concludes.

The next practical announcements will concern where the matches are played, how they are divided between the hosts and when supporters can buy tickets. Those decisions will turn a confirmed international calendar into individual match plans.

Key Points

• Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will host the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup from September 17 to October 9.
• The tournament will feature 24 national teams, including both automatically qualified hosts.
• Azerbaijan will make its first appearance; Uzbekistan will participate for the seventh time.
• The hosts belong to different confederations: UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
• Morocco is the reigning champion after winning the 2025 tournament in Chile.
• Host cities, stadiums, individual fixtures and ticket sale dates are still to be announced.