An Anísio Cabral goal in the 32nd minute of the first half decided the match in favour of the Portuguese team.

The reigning European champions, the Portuguese team had already secured their best ever participation in the competition, surpassing their third-place finish in 1989 at U-16 level, with current coach Bino Maçães in the squad.

Portugal reached the final for the fourth time in 20 editions, after third place in 1989 in Scotland and quarter-final exits in 1995 in Ecuador and 2003 in Finland.

The Portuguese team became the 11th world champions at this level, the seventh with a title, succeeding Germany, champions in 2023, in the history, which continues to be dominated by Nigeria (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015), with one more title than Brazil (1997, 1999, 2003 and 2019).

This is the third World Cup title won by Portugal, following their triumphs at the under-20 World Cups in 1989 in Saudi Arabia and 1991 in Portugal, both under the guidance of Carlos Queiroz.

Reaction from politicians

The Prime Minister praised the “talent, ambition, effort, drive and success” of the Portuguese U-17 football team, who won the world championship for the first time in Qatar.

In a message published on his official page on the X social network, Luís Montenegro stressed that “the brave young Lusitanians” who became world champions show that Portugal's future has “everything to be great”, also in football.

"Congratulations Portugal, U-17 world champions! These brave young Lusitanians show that, in football too, Portugal's future has everything to be great. Talent, ambition, effort, drive and success," he wrote.

The Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, also commented on the feat achieved by the team led by coach Bino Maçães, praising “a team spirit that makes the whole country proud”.

"Portugal are U-17 football world champions! A historic achievement, won with talent, determination and a team spirit that makes the whole country proud. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to this achievement," he wrote on his official page on the same social network.

Honoured team

The President of the Republic announced that he will award the Order of Merit to the players from the national under-17 football team that won the world championship, at a ceremony scheduled for 2 January.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made this announcement at the reception at the Belém Palace for the national under-17 team for winning the world title at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025.

"It's going to be the presentation of the Order of Merit to the youngest recipients under these circumstances. But you deserve it. I hope you realise what this means for Portugal in the world and for Portugal at home," said the head of state.

The President of the Republic admitted that he had considered whether to decorate these young people, all of whom are minors, but emphasised that they had achieved an unprecedented feat for Portugal: the European Championship a few months ago and, this week, the World Cup.

"I said, 'Are there medals for all of them? And I was told: 'President, we can't do it in 48 hours. We can't do it, why didn't you think of it before?' I thought we could become world champions, I had doubts about whether I should decorate young people as young as these," he said.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa explained why he attaches so much importance to the achievements of national sport, in the various disciplines and in football in particular.

‘It's not just football, but football carries a lot of weight in the world (...) Cristiano Ronaldo, there's no head of state, head of government, anyone who doesn't talk about him,’ he said.

The President pointed out that Portugal hadn't won a football World Cup in 34 years and defended the importance of sport in training young people.

"You can be a great head, you can have great grades, but you can be incomplete if you don't have that sporting dimension. You can also be very good at sport, but if you leave behind your preparation, your study, you leave behind something fundamental in life," he warned.

Ronaldo's support

Cristiano Ronaldo called the “kids” who won the under-17 world title for Portugal ‘giants’, with the captain being one of several Portuguese “AA” internationals who praised the young footballers' unprecedented achievement.

"Giants. Congratulations, world champions," the 40-year-old forward wrote on his social networks.

If João Neves, Rafael Leão, Diogo Dalot, João Palhinha or Rúben Dias shared the FIFA and Portuguese Football Federation publication that publicised the national achievement, Vitinha went further: “The future is yours,” he wrote.