Portugal claimed their first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Austria in the final at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on November 27, 2025.
The only goal of the night came in the 32nd minute when Benfica forward Anísio Cabral smashed home a fierce shot from the edge of the box during a rapid counter-attack, his seventh goal of the tournament.
From that moment Portugal defended with discipline and maturity, repelling everything Austria threw at them in the second half. Goalkeeper Rafael Quintas produced a string of outstanding saves, including a spectacular dive to deny Luca Weinhandl’s late header, and was rightly named man of the match.
The win capped a remarkable campaign for the young Seleção, who arrived in Qatar as reigning European champions and never looked back.
They topped their group, edged past England 2-1 in the last 16, eliminated Brazil on penalties in a dramatic quarter-final, then shut out Italy 2-0 in the semi-finals.
Austria, appearing in their first final, had been equally impressive, but simply ran into a Portuguese side that conceded just two goals across the entire competition.
When the final whistle sounded, the stadium erupted in red and green as captain Rafael Quintas lifted the trophy under fireworks and flashing lights. Cristiano Ronaldo immediately posted his congratulations on Instagram, calling the squad “young lions” and predicting many more trophies to come.
This triumph marks the end of a 36-year wait for Portugal at underage World Cup level and confirms the strength of their youth development system.
With talents like Cabral, dribbling wizard Mateus Mide and midfield anchor Stevan already attracting attention from Europe’s biggest clubs, the future of Portuguese football looks brighter than ever.
Qatar 2025, the first edition of the newly expanded 48-team annual tournament, will be remembered as the night a new European power announced itself on the global stage.