Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Under a decision by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, Azerbaijan has been selected to host the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and the 2026 FIFA Festival, AzerNEWS reports.

The tournament will take place from October 22 to 31, 2026. U-15 national teams from FIFA member associations will be eligible to participate in the competition.

In awarding the event to Azerbaijan, FIFA took into account the country's modern sports infrastructure, world-class sporting facilities that meet international standards, and its successful track record in hosting major international sporting events.

The tournament's staging in Azerbaijan is seen as further recognition of the country's growing standing in global football and its ability to host prestigious international competitions.

FIFA approved the creation of the U-15 World Cup in December 2025.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of FIFA's Executive Committee on October 2, 2025, it was announced that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan would jointly host the final stage of the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Note that Azerbaijan has maintained close cooperation with FIFA over the years, strengthening its position within the global football community through investments in sports infrastructure and the successful hosting of international tournaments.

The country has staged several major football events, including matches of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament and the UEFA Europa League final in 2019.