Georgia and Armenia to Co-Host 2029 U-20 World Cup

Historic Co-Hosting of U-20 World Cup

Yerevan/Tbilisi, April 29: The global governing body for soccer, FIFA, has officially designated Georgia and Armenia as the co-hosts for the 2029 U-20 World Cup. This marks a significant milestone as it will be the first occasion that these two nations from the South Caucasus will host a FIFA event. The decision was made during a FIFA Council meeting held on April 28 in Vancouver, Canada, just prior to the 76th FIFA Congress.

The U-20 World Cup, which has been conducted every two years since its inception in 1977, will feature 24 teams competing in its final stage.

The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) hailed this decision as "an unprecedented achievement," emphasizing that it demonstrates the international football community's trust and will provide young Armenian athletes and fans with the opportunity to experience a World Cup atmosphere in their own country, according to reports from Xinhua.

FFA president Armen Melikbekyan remarked on the significance of this event for both federations, expressing confidence that Georgia and Armenia would host the tournament with honor and strive to make it a memorable chapter in the history of FIFA's youth competitions.

Levan Kobiashvili, president of the Georgian Football Federation (GFF), expressed optimism that the tournament would have a lasting impact on the development of football in the region. He stated, "This is indeed a remarkable occasion — for the first time in the history of independent Georgian football, we will host a world-class tournament under FIFA's auspices."

The U-20 World Cup has been held every two years since its first edition in 1977, which took place in Tunisia under its former name, the FIFA World Youth Championship. This name was retained until 2005, when it was rebranded to its current title in 2007. FIFA promotes the men's Under-20 World Cup as "the tournament of tomorrow's superstars."

To date, there have been 23 editions of this tournament, with 12 different nations claiming the title. Argentina U20 holds the record for the most championships, having won six times, while Brazil U20 follows closely with five titles.

Morocco emerged victorious in the most recent tournament held in Chile in 2025. The upcoming edition in 2027 will be co-hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.