Massive U15 football festival in Baku sparks political controversy

Baku is currently staging the world’s largest U15 football tournament, involving 189 teams split into 32 groups and played on 20 small pitches over nine days. The format reduces each side to eight players, limits squads to 14 athletes, and introduces rule changes such as a delayed offside line and kick-ins instead of throw-ins to boost goal opportunities. FIFA’s Arsène Wenger is using the event to trial faster, higher-scoring play, with matches lasting only 40 minutes.

While 78 debutant nations are participating, the inclusion of Russia and Belarus has sparked diplomatic backlash, prompting Ukraine to withdraw and other states to boycott the event. The German Football Association cited scheduling and developmental reasons for not sending a team, and the English FA offered no comment beyond a brief acknowledgment. Human-rights groups also criticize Azerbaijan for using the tournament to improve its international image.