FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival
International youth football competition
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The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival is an international youth football competition organised by FIFA for national teams of players up to the age of 15. The competition was created as part of FIFA's stated commitment to promoting youth football, with the introduction of a U-15 tournament for both boys and girls approved by the FIFA Council in December 2025.[1][2][3][4]
| Organiser(s) | FIFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2026 |
| Region | International |
| Teams | TBC |
| Related competitions | FIFA U-17 World Cup FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup FIFA U-20 World Cup |
| Website | fifa.com |
 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival | |
Azerbaijan was appointed by the Bureau of the FIFA Council as host of the inaugural edition, which is scheduled to take place from 22 to 31 October 2026.[1] According to FIFA, the decision to choose Azerbaijan reflected an assessment of the country's sporting and general infrastructure, including its capacity to host thousands of young players and accompanying staff in a centralised location.[1] The selection was also described by FIFA as providing "a sense of strategic continuity", given that Azerbaijan had previously been appointed as a co-host of the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[1]
Format and concept
The competition is intended as a development-oriented event rather than a conventional knockout-style World Cup, reflecting FIFA's stated wish to give young players from across its membership the chance to take part. According to FIFA, matches will be shorter in duration and played on smaller pitches than in senior or older youth competitions, with teams composed of between seven and nine players per side.[2]
Editions and gender format
The competition alternates in format across its first three editions before settling into a regular pattern from 2028 onwards:
- The first edition, in 2026, is open to boys' national teams from all FIFA member associations.[1]
- The second edition, in 2027, will be reserved for girls' national teams only.[1]
- From 2028 onwards, FIFA intends to stage separate boys' and girls' competitions, with all member associations invited to enter teams in both.[1]
All 211 FIFA member associations were stated to be eligible to enter the first edition of the tournament.[5]
Hosts
| Year | Host | Gender | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |  Azerbaijan |
Boys | 22–31 October |
| 2027 | TBC | Girls | TBC |
| 2028 | TBC | Both | TBC |
Reactions and context
The launch of the competition attracted attention for its potential implications for Russian youth football, since the eligibility criteria for the inaugural tournament referred only to FIFA member associations in good standing, rather than excluding specific countries; the Russian Football Union has remained a FIFA member despite the suspension of Russia from international sport following the country's invasion of Ukraine.[6] FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously argued that children should not be penalised for political decisions and has called for greater participation of young players from suspended nations in international tournaments.[6]
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have said that Azerbaijan's government uses high-profile sporting events as a means of diverting attention from domestic human rights concerns, a criticism that has previously been raised in connection with other major tournaments staged in the country.[2]