New Delhi, Sep 17: India’s U15 men’s football team will face Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal in Group K of the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026, setting up a busy qualification campaign for the young side in Baku.
The tournament will be held in October, with India scheduled to play five matches across three days at the Hovsan Competition Complex. The team is coached by Bibiano Fernandes and is currently preparing at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.
India will open its campaign against Laos on October 24 at 11:45 a.m. IST. The team will then play twice on October 25, taking on Cameroon at 10:30 a.m. before facing Grenada at 5:15 p.m.
The qualification stage will conclude on October 26, when India will meet Bahrain at 2:15 p.m. and later play Senegal at 9 p.m. The demanding schedule means the squad will have to manage recovery carefully between matches.
The inaugural competition has attracted participation from 191 national teams, which have been divided into 32 groups. A total of 943 matches are scheduled across 20 pitches during six competition days.
The tournament will follow an 8v8 format rather than the traditional 11-a-side game. Matches will consist of two 20-minute halves, with a five-minute interval, while rolling substitutions will allow coaches to rotate players throughout the game.
The participating teams are expected to arrive in Baku on October 22, followed by an official training day on October 23. After the qualification matches from October 24 to 26, there will be a rest day before the tournament stage begins on October 28.
For India, the competition will provide an opportunity for a new generation of players to gain experience against teams from different footballing regions. The squad will also play international friendly matches in India before travelling to Azerbaijan, with a final squad of 14 players expected to make the trip.
The tournament represents a wider opportunity for youth football development, giving young players exposure to an international environment at an early stage of their careers. For Indian football, such exposure can also support the development of match experience, tactical understanding and international competition readiness.
With five matches packed into three days, India’s campaign will test not only the players’ technical abilities but also their adaptability, preparation and ability to recover quickly between games. The Blue Colts will now look to use their Bengaluru camp and upcoming friendlies to prepare for their first World Cup outing in Baku.