The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 delivered a day packed with tension, surprise, and masterful football, as the Round of 16 pairings were officially confirmed on Saturday at the Aspire Zone.

In the next phase of knock-out games on Tuesday, Italy will face Uzbekistan, Uganda will battle Burkina Faso, Mexico will take on Portugal, Brazil will lock horns with France, Switzerland will clash with Ireland, North Korea will face Japan, Austria will duel England, and Morocco will meet Mali.

In the pulsating air of Doha, Uganda and Burkina Faso stole the spotlight with landmark triumphs on Saturday. First-time World Cup participants Uganda stunned favorites Senegal with a gritty 1-0 victory, as Abubakali Walusimbi unleashed a long-range strike for the Cranes.

Senegal attacked relentlessly, but Uganda’s keeper Edrisah Waibi turned away a volley of threats, earning Player of the Match. “We fought for everything on the pitch, and we deserved to win,” said an ecstatic Brian Ssenyondo, Uganda’s coach.

Burkina Faso delivered the shock of the tournament, eliminating defending champions Germany 1-0. Early heroics from Mohamed Zongo—whose spectacular cut-in and finish silenced Germany - set the tone. Germany thought they’d found the equalizer in stoppage time, but a last-gasp offside call crushed their hopes.

“These young players are warriors. They know what they want, and they demonstrated that on the field,” Oscar Barro, the Burkina Faso coach, commended.

England displayed confidence and control in a 2-0 win over South Korea, with Reigan Heskey and a Jung own goal consolidating back-to-back clean sheets.

“We’re building momentum. It feels like we’re getting better and better each round,” declared England captain Seth Ridgeon.

Italy showed deep quality in a decisive 2-0 win over the Czech Republic. After a tense opening, Antonio Arena capitalized on a defensive scramble to break through, later linking up exquisitely with Valerio Maccaroni for the second. Luca Reggiani’s defensive discipline kept Italy ahead. Arena summed up: “We play together as a family... now it’s time to recover, and then think about the next match.”

North Korea survived Venezuela’s late fightback for a 2-1 win, thanks to Kim Yu Jin, who scored twice. Their focus now turns to the challenge against Japan in the last 16.

Austria ground out a hard-earned 2-0 victory over Tunisia, with late goals adding relief. Johannes Moser calmly slotted a penalty, and a deflected effort moments later secured the result.

Japan unleashed their attacking flair in a 3-0 rout of South Africa, with Hiroto Asada, Minato Yoshida, and Shota Fujii all scoring. Goalkeeper Shuji Muramatsu, savoring the clean sheet, remarked, “We set a goal before every game to score at least two and keep a clean sheet, and we did that today.”

Uzbekistan edged Croatia in a dramatic contest decided on penalties, after a 1-1 stalemate in regulation. Sadriddin Khasanov’s clinical spot kick and Nematulloh Rustamjonov’s crucial save sent the Asian champions into a much-anticipated clash with Italy.

COLLATED RESULTS

Uganda bt Senegal 1-0

England bt South Korea 2-0

Italy bt Czechia 2-0

Japan bt South Africa 3-0

Burkina Faso bt Germany 1-0

North Korea bt Venezuela 2-1

Austria bt Tunisia 2-0

Uzbekistan bt Croatia 1-1 (4-3)

ROUND OF 16 LINE-UP

Italy vs Uzbekistan
Uganda vs Burkina Faso
Mexico vs Portugal
Brazil vs France
Switzerland vs Republic of Ireland
Korea DPR vs Japan
Austria vs England
Morocco vs Mali

---

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content. 

Instagram - @qatarliving

X - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living

YouTube - qatarlivingofficial