A&B to Compete at FIFA’s First Under-15 World Cup Carded for October in Azerbaijan

The General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA), Zorol Barthley, announced that a 14-member squad will be selected to compete at FIFA’s first Under-15 World Cup, which will take place in Azerbaijan from October 22nd to 31st.

The competition is being fully funded by the sport’s world governing body.

“We have our under-14s doing well on the back of that but in October, FIFA is having an Under-15 World Cup and it’s not a qualifying event. A total of 194 members of FIFA have signed up to play in this tournament in Azerbaijan in the latter part of October. So, we have an Antigua under-15 team going to Azerbaijan in October of players born in 2011-2012,” he said.

In December 2025, the FIFA Council approved the organization of the under-15 tournaments for both men and women. On June 25, 2026, the FIFA Council Bureau designated Azerbaijan as the host for the 2026 FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Carnival.

Barthley, during a recent interview on the Good Morning Jojo Sport Show, said the FA will consult with the relevant government departments to ensure Antigua ad Barbuda can field the strongest possible team at the tournament.

“We’re going to be talking to tourism, to the Ministry of Education because these players are going to be in school and also to the Ministry of Sports to ensure that we galvanise the support. They’re going to play ten 40-minute games. It’s an eight-a-side tournament, so it’s 8 v 8. It is significant and 194 countries at an Under-15 World Cup and Antigua will be there,” he said.

The inaugural FIFA Under-15 World Cup will be open to men’s teams from all FIFA member associations, with the second edition in 2027 dedicated exclusively to showcasing women’s teams. Building on this momentum, starting from 2028, all member associations will be invited to participate in two separate competitions with their men’s and women’s Under-15 teams.