Baku will host the FIFA U-15 World Championship and Festival, which kicks off today for the first time in history.
The inaugural tournament, hosted by Azerbaijan, is expected to feature nearly 1,000 matches involving teams from 189 countries. The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the opening match and the final, will take place at the Crystal Hall.
Azerbaijan will be represented by its U-16 national team, led by head coach Famil Khalilov. The team has been drawn in Group AF alongside Andorra, Australia, Haiti, Israel and Timor-Leste. Azerbaijan will play its opening match against Timor-Leste today at 7:30 p.m. local time.
The tournament's official opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. today at the Crystal Hall.
FIFA's new competition aims to bring together young football talents from around the world and provide all member associations with opportunities to compete on the international stage. From 2028, the tournament is planned to take place annually for both boys and girls.
The competition will use an innovative 8-a-side format, with each half lasting 20 minutes.
More than 3,000 young players, coaches and officials are expected to participate. Teams will initially compete in the group stage before being assigned to six performance tiers for the second stage, based on their results. All teams will continue competing until the final day of the tournament, while the winner of Tier A will be crowned champion of the FIFA U-15 World Championship and Festival.
One of the tournament's main objectives is to give FIFA member associations valuable experience in international competition and create opportunities for the development of young footballers. Approximately 250 volunteers are expected to help organize the event.
With Azerbaijan scheduled to co-host the FIFA U-20 World Cup with Uzbekistan in 2027, staging the U-15 tournament will also help the country maintain momentum in organizing major international football competitions.