India U15 men’s team head coach Bibiano Fernandes has announced a 14-member squad for the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026, scheduled to take place in Baku from October 24 to 31.

The Blue Colts have been placed in Group K alongside Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal. India will play five matches in the qualification stage over three days, with two fixtures each scheduled for October 25 and 26.

The tournament will provide India’s young footballers with an opportunity to compete against teams from different footballing backgrounds as they continue their development at the international level.

India’s 14-member squad for FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026

Goalkeepers: Dhannya Desai, Jenit Ningthoujam

Defenders: Birjit Singh Amom, Muhammad Sohil Khan, Nara Meitei Loushambam, Pratham Kumar, Soumojit Sarkar

Midfielders: C Lalhmingropuia, Deepak Singh Arambam, Nibash Meetei Wahengbam, R Lalremruatfela, Victor Lalawmpuia

Forwards: Macdonnish Ngairangbam, Ronandev Aheibam

Coaching staff: Bibiano Fernandes (head coach), Surinder Singh (assistant coach), Parshuram Salwadi (goalkeeping coach).

India U15 fixtures at FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026

India will begin their Group K campaign against Laos on October 24 before playing Cameroon and Grenada the following day. The team will complete the qualification stage with matches against Bahrain and Senegal on October 26.

All matches will be played at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku.

Bibiano Fernandes outlines India’s approach

Fernandes said the selection process was challenging, with the coaching staff looking for players capable of handling the demands of the tournament and contributing to the team.

“Our main objective is to compete with courage, discipline and aggression, while giving every player the opportunity to perform at their highest level in the world. We want to give our best efforts to win every match and gain valuable international experience,” Fernandes said.

The coach also highlighted the importance of adapting to the tournament’s eight-a-side format, which differs from the conventional 11-a-side game.

The team played two friendly matches against Aspire Academy U15 in Doha as part of its preparations, with both fixtures ending in 2-2 draws. The squad subsequently returned to Delhi before travelling to Azerbaijan.

What is the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival format?

The inaugural tournament brings together youth teams from FIFA member associations in a competition designed to provide international match experience and support player development.

Matches will be played in an eight-a-side format, with two 20-minute halves. The qualification stage will determine the placement of teams into six performance tiers for the subsequent tournament phase.

All participating teams will continue playing through to the final matchday. Each tier will have its own winner, while the winner of Tier A will be crowned the overall FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026 champion.

For India, the tournament will be an opportunity to assess the progress of its emerging players against international opposition and gain valuable experience in a new competition format.