The inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026™ will get underway, with the first matches starting on 24 October 2026 in Azerbaijan, giving FIFA Member Associations of all sizes and with varying football traditions the chance to compete on the global stage.
FIFA plans to establish the competition as a fixture of the international game, with the girls’ tournament scheduled for 2027. Subsequently, from 2028, the girls’ and boys’ tournaments will be held annually.
Following a December 2025 FIFA Council decision, the competition is open to all FIFA Member Associations.
Arsène Wenger and Talents For Football’s Future
Arsène Wenger, FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, emphasised the tournament’s transformative potential: “Talent exists everywhere, but young players do not always have the same opportunities to test themselves internationally. This tournament is about providing them with that opportunity. By bringing teams from across the world together at U-15 level, we can give players meaningful matches, expose them to different styles and football cultures, and help them learn and develop through competition.”
Wenger believes that the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival™ format will have a lasting impact on the lives of many talented boys and girls: “Football can truly unite the world in a very powerful way at youth level. Bringing young players together from different countries and cultures gives them an experience that goes beyond competition, while also encouraging Member Associations to continue investing in their development.”
The competition will feature an innovative 8v8 format with 20-minute halves, designed to maximise player development and match experience. Nearly 1,000 games will take place across six matchdays at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, with the opening match and the tier finals on 30 October scheduled to take place at the iconic Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan’s capital city.
Key tournament details
- Pitch dimensions: 68m × 47m, with full-size goals (7.32m × 2.44m).
- Delegation size: 14 players and up to six staff members per team.
- Player eligibility: Players born in 2011 or 2012.
- Expected participant numbers: More than 3,000 young players, coaches and officials.
- Format: Teams will first compete in groups that provide diverse sporting and regional representation. Results from the group (qualification) stage will determine placement in the second (tournament) stage.
- Qualification stage: Four to five matches in a round-robin format.
- Tournament stage: Four to five additional matches per team, determined by results and subsequent tier placement.
- Ranking: A simple pre-tournament ranking used to support balanced group formation and appropriately competitive fixtures throughout the tournament, helping to provide the best possible development experience for players. It combines senior national-team performance with recent youth national-team participation and results, reflecting both the overall football strength of each Member Association and the activity and competitiveness of its youth pathway.
Meanwhile, FIFA has implemented a comprehensive match schedule designed to balance competitive intensity with player welfare.
Also, the tournament infrastructure will support 20 simultaneous matches across multiple pitches at the Hovsan Competition Complex, with up to ten games scheduled per pitch daily.
The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival enables every Member Association to experience international competition, benchmark itself against counterparts from around the world, and inspire the next generation of players, coaches and technical staff.