Somalia set for historic FIFA U-15 World Cup debut at inaugural festival in Baku

Somalia set for historic FIFA U-15 World Cup debut at inaugural festival in Baku - Somalia's under-15 national football team, known as the Ocean Stars, upon their arrival in Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026. (Photo: FB/Somali Football Federation 1951)

For Somalia, the event offers a first appearance on the FIFA World Cup stage, following previous editions of the men's and women's senior World Cups and FIFA's U-17 and U-20 competitions.

Somalia will make history this week when it joins 77 other FIFA Member Associations making their debut at a FIFA World Cup competition at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The six-day tournament kicks off on October 24 and brings together 189 of FIFA's 211 Member Associations, with Somalia among the countries getting their first taste of a FIFA World Cup competition.

The historic opportunity comes through the new U-15 tournament, which FIFA has introduced as part of its wider youth development programme and opened to all its Member Associations.

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For Somalia, the event offers a first appearance on the FIFA World Cup stage, following previous editions of the men's and women's senior World Cups and FIFA's U-17 and U-20 competitions.

The Somali youngsters will be part of a landmark edition designed not only to crown a champion but also to give young players from across the world the opportunity to experience international football.

FIFA says the inaugural boys' edition is open to players born in 2011 or 2012, with the participating teams guaranteed matches through to the final day. Unlike conventional World Cup tournaments, there will be no knockout rounds.

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The competition begins with a three-day qualification phase before moving into a three-day tournament stage involving six tiers. The winner of Tier A will be crowned the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival champion.

Matches will be played in an eight-a-side format, with two 20-minute halves, rolling substitutions, kick-ins and smaller pitches adapted to the age group.

Beyond the matches, the young players will take part in educational activities, meet football legends and participate in awareness campaigns as FIFA seeks to make the tournament a wider development experience.

Somalia's inclusion places the country alongside other first-time FIFA World Cup participants including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Comoros, South Sudan, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and several other Member Associations from across the world.

A total of 78 Member Associations are making their FIFA World Cup debut at the tournament, a number that FIFA says represents an unprecedented expansion of access to its World Cup competitions.

FIFA Head of Youth Tournaments Roberto Grassi described the event as an ambitious project aimed at bringing young players from around the world together while giving them an opportunity to represent their countries on an international stage.

The tournament is being hosted in Baku, with most matches scheduled for the Hovsan Competition Complex. Baku Crystal Hall will host the opening ceremony and the finals, while all participating teams will be accommodated together in an Athletes' Village.

For Somalia, however, the significance goes beyond the new competition itself. The appearance gives a generation of young Somali footballers their first opportunity to carry the country's flag at a FIFA World Cup event.

The tournament also marks the beginning of a new annual pathway for youth football. FIFA plans to hold a girls' edition in 2027, before introducing annual boys' and girls' U-15 tournaments from 2028.

As Somalia prepares to take part in the inaugural edition, its presence among the 78 debutants makes the Baku tournament a landmark moment for the country's youth football and its place on the global stage.

The 78 FIFA U15 World Cup newcomers

Afghanistan, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Estonia, Eswatini, Gabon, Georgia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hong Kong, China, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, China, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands and Zimbabwe.