Sudan’s under-15 national football team has been drawn alongside Russia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and South Sudan in Group AD/GD for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, which is set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in October 2026. South Sudan’s under-15 national football team has been drawn in Group AD/GD alongside Cyprus, The Gambia, Jordan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
FIFA International Football Federation announced the schedule of matches of the national teams participating in the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026. A remarkable total of 191 FIFA Member Associations will be represented at event.
The event is taking place from 22 October to 30 October 2026 (teams arrive/depart; matches run 24–30 October 2026). The custom-built Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, will stage the majority of matches at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, with the tier finals taking place at the city’s Crystal Hall. Azerbaijan was appointed host nation in June 2026.
In December 2025, the FIFA Council confirmed the tournament’s introduction. It was revealed that these new festival-style competitions for boys (2026), girls (2027) and both (2028 onwards) would be open to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, regardless of size or footballing tradition. To align with the development needs of U-15 players, the matches would also be shorter, played on smaller pitches, with teams comprising – for the 2026 edition at least – eight players.
The event format 8v8 structure divided into qualification and championship stages and consists of a qualification stage (round-robin) followed by six performance tiers based on results, ensuring every team plays through the final match day with nearly 1,000 total matches.
For more information, visit fifa.com/en/articles/dates-venues-teams-format.
