India finished 87th at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, after signing off with a 6-4 victory over Cuba in the 87th-place play-off on October 30. On the same final day, Spain defeated Czechia 3-0 in the Tier A final at Baku Crystal Hall to become the first champions of the new FIFA youth competition, which also drew attention for Russia's return to a FIFA event at youth level.
India close campaign with a six-goal win
The Blue Colts ended their 10-match campaign with a victory built around three two-goal contributions. Victor Lalawmpuia, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam and R Lalremruatfela each scored twice as India moved ahead of Cuba in the placement match at Hovsan Competition Complex Pitch 1B.
India made a fast start and established a 6-1 advantage before Cuba mounted a late response. The Caribbean side scored three times in the closing stages, but India held on to secure the 6-4 result and the 87th position in the final standings.
The result left India with five wins, one draw and four defeats from their 10 fixtures. Their victories came against Laos, Cameroon, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba. They lost to Senegal, Honduras, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, while their group match against Grenada ended in a draw.
Lalremruatfela leads India's scoring
R Lalremruatfela finished as India's leading scorer with nine goals across the festival. Lalawmpuia ended with eight, while Nibas scored four. Macdonnish Ngairangbam and Ronandev Aheibam contributed three goals apiece, with C Lalhmingropuia and Soumojit Sarkar also finding the net during the campaign.
The three braces in the Cuba match offered a fitting finish for India's attacking players. The team had shown its scoring potential earlier in the group phase, including a 2-1 win over Cameroon and a 4-3 victory against Bahrain. The campaign also included a 3-3 draw with Grenada after India had led 3-0, and a final group defeat to Senegal that pushed the side into the lower placement tiers.
India's subsequent run in the placement bracket included defeats to Afghanistan and Kazakhstan before the final win against Cuba. The 87th-place finish should be read in the context of the event's unusual structure: every participating team continued playing through the final day, with teams assigned to performance tiers after the initial group phase.
Spain take the first Tier A crown
Spain won the tournament's top-tier title with a 3-0 victory over Czechia in the final at Baku Crystal Hall. The result made Spain the inaugural champions of the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival. Greece finished third and Paraguay fourth in the Tier A standings, according to the tournament's published results.
The festival brought together 189 national teams and was designed to provide international match experience to players from associations with different levels of football infrastructure and youth competition history. FIFA's tournament figures recorded 932 matches and 4,505 goals. The governing body also reported that 187 of the 189 participating teams won at least one match.
Russia's youth-level return to a FIFA event
Russia's participation was one of the wider talking points surrounding the tournament. Russian teams had been excluded from FIFA and UEFA competitions following the country's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The U15 festival, open to all FIFA member associations, allowed a Russian youth team to take part in a FIFA competition for the first time since those exclusions.
The development was described by international media as a partial return, rather than a broad restoration of Russia's status in international football. The decision applied to this youth event and did not mean that Russian senior national teams or clubs had been readmitted to the regular FIFA and UEFA competition calendar.
A different format for youth development
The inaugural festival used an 8-a-side format, with two 20-minute halves and pitches measuring 68 metres by 47 metres. FIFA said the format was intended to provide meaningful competition and development opportunities to a wide range of young players. The tournament was open to players born in 2011 or 2012, and teams played a group phase before moving into one of six performance tiers.
The scale was also notable: FIFA said almost 3,000 young players from all six continental confederations gathered in Baku. The event combined matches with educational and cultural activities, reflecting its stated aim of making the experience broader than a conventional knockout championship.
The SportsLine angle
For Indian youth football, the Baku campaign offered 10 international matches against teams from several confederations and a clear set of attacking returns from the leading scorers. The wins over Cameroon and Bahrain showed the squad's capacity to compete in demanding fixtures, while the late collapse against Grenada and losses in the placement phase provide areas for technical review.
India's 87th-place finish does not erase the value of the experience, but it does provide a result against which future youth development efforts can be assessed. With FIFA's festival format set to continue, the next challenge for Indian football will be to turn international exposure into sustained development at academy and national-team levels.
Spain leave Baku with the inaugural Tier A title, while India leave with a final-day win and a leading scorer in Lalremruatfela. The first edition has established a new global platform for U15 football, with the girls' competition scheduled to follow in 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Where did India finish at the 2026 FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival?
India finished 87th among 189 participating teams at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Blue Colts closed their campaign with a 6-4 victory over Cuba in the 87th-place play-off on October 30, recording five wins, one draw and four defeats.
How did India finish its FIFA U15 World Cup campaign?
India defeated Cuba 6-4 in the 87th-place play-off. Victor Lalawmpuia, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam and R Lalremruatfela each scored twice. India had built a 6-1 advantage before Cuba scored three late goals, but the Blue Colts held on for the win.
Who won the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival?
Spain won the top-tier title at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival in Baku. Spain defeated Czechia 3-0 in the Tier A final at Baku Crystal Hall on October 30, 2026, to become the first champions of the competition.
Who was India's leading scorer at the U15 festival?
R Lalremruatfela was India's leading scorer in the tournament with nine goals. Victor Lalawmpuia followed with eight, while Nibas Meetei Wahengbam scored four. Lalremruatfela also scored twice in India's final 6-4 victory over Cuba.
Why was Russia's participation at the tournament significant?
Russia's entry marked a return to a FIFA competition at youth level after Russian teams had been excluded from FIFA and UEFA competitions since 2022. The U15 festival was open to all FIFA member associations, making it a limited youth-level return rather than a reinstatement across senior international football.