FIFA U-15 World Cup 2026 — India’s campaign, Russia’s return and Spain’s grand conquest in Baku

India finished 87th in the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, scoring 69 goals in 10 matches, while conceding just 10 goals. | Photo Credit: FIFA via Getty Images

The inaugural edition of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan, where 189 countries competed in a truly global tournament for over a week, between October 22 and 30.

After nearly a 1000 matches, the FIFA under-15 World Cup ended with reigning senior men’s champion Spain winning the title.

“Talent exists everywhere, but young players do not always have the same opportunities to test themselves internationally. This tournament is about giving them that opportunity. By bringing teams from across the world together at U-15 level, we can give players meaningful matches, expose them to different styles and football cultures, and help them learn and develop through competition,” Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief Global Football Development, explained.

“Bringing young players together from different countries and cultures gives them an experience that goes beyond competition, while also encouraging Member Associations to continue investing in their development.”

Here are the biggest takeaways from the tournament:

India’s campaign: Exposure versus results

Controversy surrounded India before it assembled its team, with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointing former under-17 national team coach Bibiano Fernandes as the tactician, and Rajit Bajaj as team manager.

Bajaj later declined the offer, while Bibiano took up the job to guide the team to 87th in the tournament. For a team ranked 138th in the senior men’s rankings, the position could be seen as a win.

The #BlueColts sign off from Baku with a win over Cuba, securing 87th place at the #U15WC. 🇮🇳💙 #INDCUB #IndianFootball https://t.co/fNzOYloaMZ

— Indian Football (@IndianFootball) October 30, 2026

The Blue Colts registered five wins over Laos, Cameroon, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba, suffered four defeats to Senegal, Honduras, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, while drawing once against Grenada.

ALSO READ: India ends FIFA U-15 World Cup 2026 campaign with 6-4 win over Cuba

India’s attacking prowess was on full display as the team scored 69 goals in 10 matches, conceding just 10. R. Lalremruatfela and Victor Lalawmpuia featured in the top-five scorers across groups in the tournament, with nine and eight goals, respectively.

A grand scale, a modified format

The under-15 World Cup comprised 932 matches, 189 countries and nearly 3000 players – a testimony of a grand tournament. The Festival saw 78 countries make their debut in a World Cup of any age group.

The tournament also had modified rules:

• Player eligibility: Born 2011-2012.
• Match format: 8 v 8; 2 x 20 minutes.
• Pitch dimensions: 68m × 47m, with full-size goals.
• Delegation size: 14 players (up to six staff members per team).
• Tournament format: Teams will first compete in groups that provide diverse sporting and regional representation. Qualification stage - Four to five matches in a round-robin format.
• Tournament stage - Four to five additional matches per team, determined by results and subsequent tier placement. One winner for each of the six tiers.
• Throw-ins will be replaced by a kick-in
• Offside will only apply beyond specially marked offside lines positioned 14 metres from the goal line.

A stage for Asia, Africa and a door creaking open for Russia

The 2026 FIFA World Cup (senior) had set the stage for Asian and African sides to turn heads, be it Qatar’s draw with Switzerland or DR Congo drawing with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.

The trend followed in the under-15 World Cup, where the Central African Republic beat Bangladesh 4-1 to win the Tier E final. Nevertheless, Bangladesh did remarkably well too, beating Montenegro and Gabon in the knockouts.

Meanwhile, Zambia reached the Tier B final, beating Senegal 4-3 in a dramatic semifinal, with Maxen Msimuko stepping up as one of the most exciting youngsters in the circuit, with 16 goals to his name at the Tier B level.

Zambian youngster Maxen Msimuko was one of the most promising players at the FIFA U-15 World Cup 2026. | Photo Credit: Football Association of Zambia

Another major talking point of the World Cup and Festival was the return of Russia in men’s football in FIFA tournaments. The global football body had banned Russia in February 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.

But the under-15 World Cup and Festival saw the Russian team return to a FIFA tournament after four years. Placed in Group AE, Russia won eight of its 10 matches and finished 19th in the tournament.

Spain – an assembly line of champions

Spain, the reigning world champion in men’s and women’s football, continued to prove its dominance even at the youngest level of development. The Spaniards had a remarkable campaign, winning nine matches and drawing once in their 10 games, scoring 42 goals.

👏 189 países, un solo CAMPEÓN. 🌟 ¡𝗟𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗮 @FIFAcom 𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔! 😍 ¡Increíble, chicos! #NuestraBase | #SUB16 https://t.co/YOftaDaipM

— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) October 30, 2026

Their campaign included the demolition of Tajikistan and Barbados, with scorelines of 6-1 and 7-0, respectively. The team had young prodigies from clubs like Real Madrid (Mikel López, Alberto Ruiz) and Barcelona (Divine Ikenna).

In its final match, they beat Czechia (also called the Czech Republic) 3-0 to win the tournament.

Published on Oct 31, 2026

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