The FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 has kicked off in Baku, with matches scheduled from 24 to 30 October. The official opening ceremony of the World Championship will take place today at 19:00.
Approximately 1,000 matches are scheduled to take place as part of the World Cup, which will feature 189 countries. The tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the first and final matches, will take place at the Crystal Hall sports and concert complex.
Azerbaijan will be represented at the World Championship by its U-16 national team, led by Famil Khalilov. The team will compete in Group AF alongside the national teams of Andorra, Australia, Haiti, Israel, and East Timor (Timor-Leste). Azerbaijan's national team will play its first match of the tournament today at 7:30 p.m. against East Timor.
The competition will feature an innovative 8-on-8 format, with each half lasting 20 minutes. More than 3,000 young soccer players, coaches, and officials are expected to participate in the tournament. The teams will first compete in the group stage, after which they will be divided into six performance tiers based on their results for the second stage of the tournament. All teams will continue to compete until the final day of play, and the winner of Level A will be crowned champion of the FIFA U-15 World Championship and Festival.
Azerbaijan is hosting this World Cup for the first time in history. This FIFA tournament will bring together young soccer talents from around the world and provide all member associations with the opportunity to compete at the international level.
