The inaugural edition of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival is set to kick off in Baku, Azerbaijan on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The tournament is notable for its sheer scale. It is open to all 211 of FIFA's member associations, with 190 countries confirmed to participate.
Mexico and Canada will be among the nations representing Concacaf, but the United States won't send a team to the competition.
The tournament's size and lack of a qualifying requirement means that for many smaller countries, the week-long competition will be their first opportunity to compete on such a large stage.
According to FIFA chief of global football development Arsene Wenger, the tournament presents a huge opportunity for players who may not otherwise get the chance to have
their talent displayed at a global FIFA competition.
“Talent exists everywhere, but young players do not always have the same opportunities to test themselves internationally," the longtime Arsenal manager told FIFA's website.
"This tournament is about providing them with that opportunity. By bringing teams from across the world together at U-15 level, we can give players meaningful matches, expose them to different styles and football cultures, and help them learn and develop through competition.”
With so many teams involved and nearly 1,000 matches scheduled, the tournament will take place in an 8v8 format with 20-minute halves.
The majority of the competition will take place at the custom-built Hovsan Competition Complex, which will stage as many as 20 simultaneous matches across multiple pitches.
The 2026 tournament will feature boys, while the first girls tournament is scheduled for 2027. Both girls’ and boys’ tournaments are then planned to take place annually starting in 2028.
View the full match schedule here
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FIFA’s new U-15 World Cup to feature 190 countries, nearly 1,000 games
