India have been placed in Group K alongside Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal for the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026, scheduled to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in October 2026.
The India U15 men’s team, coached by Bibiano Fernandes, will face a demanding five-match qualification campaign, with all their matches scheduled over three days at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku.
A total of 191 FIFA Member Associations will participate in the inaugural tournament, with the teams divided into 32 groups. The competition will feature 943 matches across 20 pitches, with matches being played over six competition days.
The tournament will introduce a 8v8 format, with each match consisting of two 20-minute halves, separated by a five-minute half-time interval. Games will be played on a 68m × 50m pitch, while rolling substitutions will be allowed throughout the matches.
India’s Group K Fixtures
October 24: Laos vs India
October 25: India vs Cameroon
October 25: Grenada vs India
October 26: Bahrain vs India
October 26: India vs Senegal
With five matches packed into just three days, the tournament will provide India’s young players with an opportunity to compete against teams from different footballing regions while gaining valuable international experience.
Picture Courtesy: AIFF Media
