Argentina vs. Mexico, Brazil vs. Paraguay and France vs. Colombia will be some of the highlights of the Round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off this Friday after the end of the group stage.
The teams of Burkina Faso, Uganda, Mali and Mexico were the last to qualify on a day in which 16 were eliminated and 32 confirmed their passage to the first knockout round.
Clash of giants at the U-17 World Cup
The round of 16 of the FIFA U-17 World Cup left Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia and France (reigning runner-up) on the same side of the draw.
The Argentines, Brazilians and French qualified as group winners, the Colombian team as second and Paraguay and Mexico among the eight best third-placed teams.
Also of note are the matches between defending champions Germany (2023) and Burkina Faso, as well as Venezuela-South Korea and Portugal-Belgium.
Those that fell by the wayside after the group stage are:
Bolivia, New Caledonia, United Arab Emirates, Fiji, Haiti, Ivory Coast, El Salvador, and Honduras.
As well as Tajikistan, Panama, Chile and New Zealand (fourth in the group); Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar and Costa Rica (worst third).
The first phase ended with three top scorers, all with 4 goals:
Italy’s Samuele Inacio, Belgium’s Rene Mitongo and Czech Vit Skrkon.
Round of 16 clashes
Argentina vs Mexico
Portugal vs Belgium
Switzerland vs Egypt
Ireland vs Canada
United States vs Morocco
Zambia vs Mali
Brazil vs Paraguay
France vs Colombia
Austria vs Tunisia
North Korea vs England
Venezuela vs South Korea
Japan vs South Africa
Italy vs Czech Republic
Croatia vs Uzbekistan
Senegal vs Uganda
Germany vs Burkina Faso.
With information from EFE
Young talent in action
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 takes place in Qatar until November 27, bringing together 32 youth teams from around the world.
The tournament has stood out for its competitive level, with powerhouses such as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, France and Germany advancing to the round of 16.
In addition, African teams such as Mali and Burkina Faso surprised with their performance.
Beyond the results, the championship serves as a global showcase for soccer’s future stars and reinforces the growing interest of U.S. Hispanic soccer fans in the sport’s new generations.
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
