India U-15 confirm lineups for FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival qualifier against Laos in Baku

India U-15 will meet Laos U-15 at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku on Saturday, 24 October 2026, in the qualification stage of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, with both teams naming their squads ahead of the clash.

India, coached by Bibiano Fernandes, arrive in Azerbaijan having played two draws against Qatar U-15 as part of their preparations, and are placed in a qualification group that the report describes as containing several FIFA World Cup-playing nations. Fernandes has said his side must win as many matches as possible in the qualification stage to be placed in higher tiers in the main edition, and the team see this opening match as an early opportunity to stake their claim.

Laos’ senior national team is listed at 185th in the FIFA World Rankings in the report, a standing that the article uses to note India are considered the favourites for the tie. Fernandes is expected to urge his players to focus on attacking play and sustained pressure as the Blue Colts seek a commanding result in their first qualifying fixture.

The Laos U-15 side are described as likely to adopt a conservative game plan, prioritising defensive organisation and looking to disrupt India with counter-attacks and transitions. The piece says a positive outcome for Laos would serve as proof of competitiveness in the qualification stage, while a loss could be demoralising for the visiting young players.

The match will be the first competitive meeting between the India U-15 and Laos U-15 teams. The article reports that Bibiano Fernandes travelled to Azerbaijan with a 14-player squad; Laos U-15 are also reported to have brought their most promising players for the competition.

The India squad list as provided in the source includes: Dhannya Desai (GK), Brijit Singh, Muhammed Sohail Khan, Pratham Kumar, Deepak Singh, Victor Lalawmpuia, Aheibam Ronadev, Macdonnish Ngairangbam. The report does not list the full 14 names but confirms the squad size for India and notes Laos’ travelling party contains their top young talents.

The qualification match will kick off at 11:45 AM IST on Saturday, 24 October 2026, at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku and will be streamed live for free on DAZN. For ongoing coverage and updates the article directs readers to follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App, and join its communities on Whatsapp and Telegram.