The 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, the third edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Australia from 3-18 October 1981. The tournament took place at six venues, where a total of 32 matches were played. The venues were located in the cities of Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney. The winner was West Germany, who beat surprise package Qatar 4–0 in a final held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).