The WAFF U-17 Championship () is an international football competition contested by the men's under-17 national teams of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) member associations. It is part of WAFF's youth championship programme, which was inaugurated in 2005 with an under-15 tournament, won by hosts Iran. The competition has subsequently been held under different age designations, including under-15 and under-16, before being established as an under-17 competition.
History The first WAFF youth championship was held in Hamadan, Iran, in 2005 as an under-15 competition. Six national teams participated: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. The competition continued at under-15 level through 2007 and 2009.
The 2013 edition was held in Palestine as the WAFF U-16 Championship. It attracted international attention after several members of the participating teams were initially denied entry to the West Bank by Israeli authorities. The incident prompted calls for action from FIFA and UEFA, before the necessary entry permits were issued and the tournament was allowed to proceed. Iraq won the tournament.
The 2015 edition was won by Iraq, who successfully defended the regional title won in 2013. The tournament was contested by five teams in a round-robin format. The 2018 edition was also held at under-16 level, with Japan participating as a guest team and winning the tournament after four victories. The competition returned to under-15 level in 2019. It remained at that age level in 2021, when Yemen won the title for the first time.
In 2022, the competition returned to under-16 level. Hosts Jordan defeated Lebanon 1–0 in the final to win the championship for the first time. The 2023 edition, held in Oman, was contested at under-15 level. It was the tenth edition of the WAFF youth championship and featured eight teams divided into two groups of four, followed by semi-finals and a final. Saudi Arabia won the tournament after defeating Yemen on penalties in the final. The competition returned to under-16 level in 2024, which was held in Jordan. Syria defeated Saudi Arabia on penalties in the final to win their second title.
The 2025 edition marked the first time that the competition was held at under-17 level. It was hosted by Jordan, with Saudi Arabia winning their second title after defeating Lebanon on penalties in the final. The competition continued at under-17 level in 2026, with seven teams participating in the tournament in Jordan. Lebanon defeated Yemen on penalties in the final to win the championship for the first time.
Results WAFF U-17 ChampionshipEditionYearHostFinalThird place matchNo. of TeamsChampionsScoreRunners-upThird placeScoreFourth place120052–0Shariati Stadium, Karaj5–0Shariati Stadium, Karaj622007 532009 3–2Petra Stadium, Amman3–1Petra Stadium, Amman942013 452015 562018 572019 982021 1–1 (5–4 )Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam and 992022 1–0Aqaba Stadium, Aqaba and 8102023 1–1 (3–2 )Al-Saada Stadium, Salalah and 8112024 1–0Aqaba Stadium, Aqaba and 9122025 1–1 (5–3 )Aqaba Stadium, Aqaba and 7132026 1–1(4–3 )Aqaba Stadium, Aqaba and 7 Notes
Teams reaching the top four + Teams reaching the top fourTeamTitlesRunners-upThird placeFourth placeSemi-finalistTotal2 (2019, 2025)4 (2015, 2021*, 2023, 2024)62 (2007*, 2024)2 (2005, 2009)1 (2019)3 (2021, 2022, 2025)82 (2021, 2023)1 (2026)1 (2018)42 (2005*, 2009)1 (2007)32 (2013, 2015)2 (2005, 2009)2 (2007, 2019)2 (2022, 2023)81 (2026)2 (2022, 2025)1 (2005)41 (2022*)1 (2019*)3 (2007, 2013, 2018*)1 (2009*)3 (2024*, 2025*, 2026*)91 (2018)11 (2013)1 (2015)3 (2021, 2023, 2026)51 (2018)12 (2013*, 2015)1 (2024)3 * = hosts
See also WAFF Championship WAFF U-23 Championship WAFF U-19 Championship AFC U-17 Asian Cup
References