FIFA has launched a new U-15 World Cup, a global youth tournament featuring 189 member associations competing in an eight-a-side format. The inaugural event, approved by the FIFA Council in December 2025, is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, with nearly 1,000 matches scheduled across a week-long festival of football.
Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, has strongly endorsed the innovative structure. The former Arsenal manager stated the 8v8 format with 20-minute halves and smaller pitches reduces the traditional gap between footballing nations. He highlighted the tournament's core purpose of providing equal competition, allowing smaller countries to compete directly against larger ones and discover talent that might otherwise be overlooked. Wenger described the event as working perfectly well for developing young players on an international stage.
Tournament structure and venues
The competition involves boys' national teams for players born in 2011 or 2012. All matches are being held at the Hovsan Competition Complex and Baku Crystal Hall, using 20 pitches to stage games simultaneously. The structure includes a round-robin qualification phase followed by a tournament stage split into six performance tiers. A key principle is that every team continues competing until the final matchday, regardless of early results, to maximise participation and international experience.
Each national delegation consists of 14 players and up to six staff members. The tournament also incorporates a festival promoting friendship, inclusion and education alongside the football. Winners for each of the six tiers will be crowned at a ceremony in Baku's Crystal Hall on October 30.
FIFA has outlined plans for the competition's future. The 2027 edition is scheduled to feature girls' national teams. From 2028 onwards, FIFA intends to organise separate boys' and girls' U-15 World Cup competitions annually, with the goal of inviting all 211 FIFA member associations to participate. This expansion shows the governing body's stated commitment to prioritising player development and broad international experience at youth level.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the tournament is a key part of the organisation's strategy to make football truly global. He emphasised that the new format allows every child to have a chance to compete on the world stage from a young age. The tournament's festival atmosphere includes cultural exchange activities and educational workshops on topics such as sportsmanship and healthy living.
The event in Baku is being used as a pilot to refine the format before its planned global expansion. FIFA's development department has created specific technical guidelines for the 8v8 format, focusing on increased player involvement and technical skill development. The governing body has also partnered with several youth football academies to provide training resources for participating nations.
Local organisers in Azerbaijan have prepared extensive facilities to accommodate the large number of teams and matches. The Hovsan Complex features specially configured pitches meeting FIFA's 8v8 specifications, while the Crystal Hall provides indoor facilities for ceremonies and auxiliary events. Transportation and accommodation for all delegations have been arranged in partnership with the Azerbaijani Football Federation.
Tournament officials report that the initial rounds have shown competitive balance across teams from different confederations. Early matches have featured nations with limited football infrastructure competing closely against traditional youth football powers. The scheduling allows each team to play multiple matches against varied opposition throughout the week.
FIFA's monitoring team will collect data on player performance and tournament organisation to inform future editions. The success of this inaugural event will determine the scale of investment in subsequent tournaments. Already, several member associations have expressed interest in hosting future editions of the U-15 World Cup festival.
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