PH to compete in inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup

MANILA — The Philippines will see action in the inaugural edition of the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on October 24-30, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) confirmed.

The FIFA youth competition is open to all 211 member associations, without any qualifying rounds required.

The Philippines has been drawn into Group F alongside African sides Morocco and Liberia and North American teams Costa Rica, Curaçao, and Belize.

“For our young players, stepping onto a FIFA stage is a very rare opportunity and we intend to make the most of it,” PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez said,

“This is a chance to show the world what our Regional Football Associations (RFAs), our youth national team programs, and PFF’s Talent Identification Program from here and abroad have been building together.”

The Philippine delegation will be assembled by combining standout players identified through the country’s leading RFAs with top performers from the current youth national team setup and from talent identification camps abroad.

The competition is open to boys born in 2011 and 2012, and will be played in an 8v8 format across 20-minute halves.

Nearly 1,000 matches will be played throughout the event, with more than 3,000 players, coaches, and officials expected to be present.

The Philippines already has recent experience with the 8v8 format, having introduced it into the 2026 Palarong Pambansa Elementary Boys’ tournament last May in partnership with the Department of Education.