Qualification
The following 24 teams qualified for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.
| Confederation | Qualifying Tournament | Qualifier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| AFC (Asia) | AFC Youth Championship 2002 | Japan Saudi Arabia South Korea Uzbekistan1 |
| CAF (Africa) | 2003 African Youth Championship | Burkina Faso1 Côte d'Ivoire Egypt Mali |
| CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean) |
2003 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament | Canada Mexico Panama1 United States |
| CONMEBOL (South America) | 2003 South American Youth Championship | Argentina Brazil Colombia Paraguay |
| OFC (Oceania) | 2002 OFC U-20 Championship | Australia |
| UEFA (Europe) | 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship | Czech Republic England Germany Republic of Ireland Slovakia1 Spain |
| Host nation | United Arab Emirates | |
- 1.^ Teams that will make their debut.
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