India U-15 to face Laos in opening match of inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Baku
India U-15 will meet Laos U-15 at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku in the opening match of the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 on Saturday, 24 October 2026, with kick-off at 11:45 AM IST. The game will be streamed live and free on DAZN.
FIFA has launched the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup, a tournament running in Baku from October 24 to 31 that invited all FIFA member associations and will serve as the inaugural edition of this age-group competition. The Indian U-15 side, nicknamed the Blue Colts, will play their first World Cup match at the event and have been drawn into Group K alongside Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada and Laos. India’s head coach Bibiano Fernandes has named a 14-player squad for the trip to Azerbaijan.
Fernandes’s 14-player roster lists two goalkeepers: Dhannya Desai and Jenit Ningthoujam. The defensive contingent named includes Birjit Singh Amom, Muhammad Sohil Khan, Nara Meitei Loushambam, Pratham Kumar and Soumojit Sarkar. Midfielders in the squad are C Lalhmingropuia, Deepak Singh Arambam, Nibash Meetei Wahengbam, R Lalremruatfela and Victor Lalawmpuia, while the forward line features Macdonnish Ngairangbam and Ronandev Aheibam.
The coaching staff travelling with the team is headed by Bibiano Fernandes, with Surinder Singh as assistant coach and Parshuram Salwadi as goalkeeping coach. The squad selection was announced ahead of India’s opening fixture against Laos and reflects the group of players chosen for the tournament.
India prepared for the tournament with two draws against Qatar prior to departing for Azerbaijan. Fernandes faces the tactical challenge of adapting to "8-man formation football", and the team will aim to secure three points in their opening match to build momentum. The preview notes that Laos tends to prioritise a defensive approach, which could present challenges for India’s attacking players.
Match logistics are confirmed: the India U-15 v Laos U-15 fixture takes place on Saturday, 24 October 2026 at 11:45 AM IST at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku. Viewers in India can watch the fixture live and free on DAZN; Khel Now has published a detailed guide to watching the match and offers updates across its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube channels and via its Android and iOS apps, plus community groups on WhatsApp and Telegram.
Following the Laos game, India remain in competition at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, which runs through 31 October in Baku, and face a schedule that includes two high-octane clashes on 25 October, which the team will contest as part of the tournament programme.
