DOHA, 30th October, 2025 (WAM) -- BOMA™, the desert owl has swooped in as the Official Mascot of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ as the clock ticks down to kick-off of the historic tournament next Monday.
With the game’s brightest young talents from across the globe set to come together in Qatar for the first 48-team FIFA tournament, which includes the UAE national team, BOMA represents the vital but often-overlooked role of the football scout.
The mascot’s name means owl in Arabic and pays a unique tribute to legendary Serbian former player and tactician Velibor “Bora” Milutinović, who led five different national teams into five consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup™.
Previous editions of the showpiece competition have provided a platform for all-time greats, including Gianluigi Buffon, Luís Figo, Xavi Hernández, Eden Hazard, Andrés Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Son Heung-min and Francesco Totti, to make memorable debuts on the world stage.