FIFA World Cup & Festival 2026 / Albania U-15 takes part in the first edition in Azerbaijan

Albania U-15 will take part in the first edition of the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, FIFA’s new tournament that will be held in Azerbaijan, starting on October 24, 2026.

The red-and-black national team of this age group has been placed in Group Y, together with Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Rwanda, Turks and Caicos Islands and Vanuatu.

The tournament organised by FIFA brings a special format, giving all FIFA Member Associations the opportunity to take part in an international competition of this nature. More than 3,000 young players, coaches and officials will take part in the first edition.

Under the format set by FIFA, the teams will first play four to five matches in the group stage, while the results will determine their positioning in the tournament’s second stage. This stage will be held in six competitive tiers and every team will keep playing until the last day of the event.

The winner of Tier A will be crowned champion of the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, while the winners of the other five tiers will also be crowned.

Participation in this event represents another important opportunity for young Albanian footballers to gain experience on the international stage and to face teams from different continents and footballing traditions.

For this edition, FIFA has set that players born in 2011 and 2012 will take part in the tournament, while each delegation may consist of 14 footballers and up to six staff members.

The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 will be held in Azerbaijan, with the matches organised at the Hovsan Competition Complex, in a format designed to combine international competition with talent development.