Portugal Lift First FIFA U-17 World Cup Title in Qatar, Cabral Nets Decisive Goal
By A Source Correspondent Published On November 27, 2025
DOHA, Qatar — Portugal has secured their first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup title, defeating Austria 1-0 in the final held on Thursday at Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium. The victory saw the reigning European U-17 champions lift the trophy in the 2025 edition of the tournament.
Portugal’s historic win came in a match where both sides were competing in the final at this level for the first time. The only goal of the game was scored by Anisio Cabral in the 32nd minute. The Benfica forward scored into an empty net after he narrowly stayed onside to receive a pass across the goalmouth. The goal was the result of a swift Portuguese passing move.
The game proved to be as tight as the 1-0 scoreline suggested. Austria, however, shaded the overall attacking statistics, registering 15 efforts on goal compared to Portugal’s 14, and having five chances testing the keeper versus Portugal’s four.
Austria came closest to leveling the score late in the second half. Substitute Daniel Frauscher, just seconds after coming onto the pitch, struck the post with a low drive in the 85th minute.
Cabral’s match-winning tap-in marked his seventh goal of the tournament. He finished just behind Austria’s Johannes Moser, who entered the final as the tournament’s leading scorer with eight goals and was subsequently named the Golden Ball winner.
The final placement saw European teams claim the top three spots. Earlier in the day, the third-place playoff also concluded in Doha. Italy beat Brazil 4-2 on penalties following a goalless draw after normal time, with goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni saving two penalties in the shootout. Italy had reached the third-place match after being defeated 2-0 by Austria in the semifinals, while Brazil lost their last-four clash to Portugal 6-5 on penalties.
The tournament itself, the inaugural 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, received high praise from FIFA’s chief of global football development, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Wenger hailed the event as a “football paradise”, adding that he believes the tournament “will change football in the world”. He expressed hope that the tournament will push every federation to make more effort to develop their youth system and education. Qatar will continue to host this event annually for the next four years.