FIFA has confirmed Pakistan’s schedule for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan, with the young Pakistan team set to play five qualification-stage matches over three days.
The tournament will take place in Baku and is scheduled to feature teams from across the FIFA membership. FIFA says the inaugural boys’ competition will use an 8v8 format, with matches consisting of two 20-minute halves.
Pakistan has been drawn in Group AD, alongside Cyprus, Gambia, Jordan, Nigeria and South Sudan.
The Pakistan U-15 side will begin its campaign against Gambia on October 24. The team will then face two opponents on October 25 before completing the qualification stage with two more matches on October 26.
Pakistan’s FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival Schedule
| Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|
| October 24 | Pakistan vs Gambia | 3:30 p.m. |
| October 25 | Pakistan vs South Sudan | 1:45 p.m. |
| October 25 | Pakistan vs Cyprus | 8:30 p.m. |
| October 26 | Pakistan vs Jordan | 12:30 p.m. |
| October 26 | Pakistan vs Nigeria | 7:15 p.m. |
The schedule gives Pakistan a demanding opening phase, with the team required to play five qualification matches within a short period.
The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival is a new youth competition designed to provide international playing opportunities to young footballers from FIFA member associations. The 2026 edition is open to boys’ teams, while the girls’ edition is scheduled to follow in 2027.
The tournament will bring more than 3,000 players, coaches and officials to Azerbaijan. FIFA has designed the competition around a development-focused format, with smaller pitches, eight-player teams and shorter matches.
The qualification stage will consist of four or five round-robin matches for each team. Results from this phase will determine placement in the tournament’s second stage.
Unlike a conventional competition where teams can be eliminated after the opening round, every participating team will continue playing. The second stage will be divided into six performance tiers, with teams competing through to the final matchday.
The overall competition is scheduled to run in Azerbaijan from October 24 to October 30, with Baku serving as the main host city. The Hovsan Competition Complex will stage most matches, while the tier finals are scheduled for the Crystal Hall.
For Pakistan’s young players, the event will provide an opportunity to face teams from different footballing backgrounds and gain experience in an international competition.
The five scheduled fixtures against Gambia, South Sudan, Cyprus, Jordan and Nigeria will form Pakistan’s first stage of the tournament.
The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival is part of FIFA’s wider youth-development approach, with the organisation saying the competition is intended to give young players from countries with different levels of football development meaningful international competition.
Pakistan’s participation in the inaugural edition will therefore give its U-15 players an international platform while allowing them to compete against several different opponents during the qualification phase.
