The 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the biennial international women's youth football championship contested by the under-17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was held in Jordan from 30 September to 21 October 2016. While the role of women in sport was regarded as controversial due to cultural and religious conservatism in some countries of the Middle East, this tournament was the first female FIFA tournament held in the region. Host selection The following countries submitted a bid to host the tournament by the May 2013 deadline: On 5 December 2013, the FIFA Executive Committee announced that the tournament would be held in Jordan. Qualified teams A total of 16 teams qualified for the final tournament. In addition to Jordan who qualified automatically as hosts, the other 15 teams qualified from six separate continental competitions. The slot allocation was published in June 2014. 1.Teams that made their debut. Venues The three host cities were Amman, Irbid, and Zarqa. The infrastructure of the stadiums and surrounding areas in the host cities was developed. Greater Amman Municipality and the Higher Council for Youth were responsible for developing the infrastructure, with 30% under the responsibility of the municipality and 70% under the responsibility of the council. Emblem The official emblem was unveiled on 3 May 2015, which was designed to showcase Jordan's most iconic symbols. Visual aspects of the Jordanian culture can be seen on the emblem that has the traditional shape of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Trophy, which include; the distinctive pattern of the Jordanian Keffieh, the Jordanian national flower Black Iris, Pan Arab colors and a star from the Jordanian flag. Mascot In a FIFA press conference on 28 May 2016, the tournament mascot, "Aseela", was introduced. Aseela is an Arabian oryx, which is a rare animal that happens to be the national animal of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx was chosen for being a symbol of " strength, gentleness, and athleticism", resembling female football players. The mascot is expected to inspire young women across Jordan and the region to participate in watching the tournament. Theme Song The Official song for the 2016 FIFA Women U-17 World Cup is 'Jordan our Playground' Composed by Lebanese Singer Carole Samaha and her Jordanian counterpart Hussein Al Salman Squads Each team named a squad of 21 players