Politics News 25 October 2026 01:14 (UTC +04:00)
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. FIFA President Gianni Infantino thanked the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for his support of the first FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, which is taking place in Baku.
Infantino wrote about this on his Instagram account.
"I had the fantastic opportunity to be alongside President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for Azerbaijan’s opening game of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival!" FIFA president wrote.
According to him, they watched the historic match together and discussed their shared love for football, as well as its unique ability to bring people together.
"Football has an amazing ability to inspire hope, bring about smiles, build bridges, and forge lifelong friendships," Infantino stressed.
He also noted the important role of the Azerbaijani leadership in organizing the tournament.
The support of President Ilham Aliyev have been instrumental in hosting this competition in Baku," he said.
Infantino added that, thanks to the collaboration between FIFA and Azerbaijan, young footballers from 189 of the organization’s member associations have been given the opportunity to showcase their talents on the global stage and move closer to realizing their dreams.