31.10.2026 17:00
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev attended the award ceremony of the Spain U-15 National Team, which became champion by beating the Czech Republic 3-0 in the final at the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival held in Baku. The Azerbaijani press had written that Aliyev did not attend the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Ankara the same day due to this ceremony.
Spain became the first champion of the new tournament created by FIFA for young footballers. At the ceremony, which was also attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Aliyev took part in the ceremony where the champions were awarded their prizes.
IN THE FINAL, SPAIN BEAT THE CZECH REPUBLIC 3-0
The final match of the tournament was played on October 30 at Baku Crystal Hall. In the match officiated by Azerbaijani FIFA referee Aliyar Aghayev, Spain defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 and claimed the cup. The winners of the tournament's other categories were also announced on the same day.
ALIYEV WATCHED THE FINAL AND ATTENDED THE AWARD CEREMONY
According to a statement from the press service of the Azerbaijani Presidency, Aliyev watched the final at Baku Crystal Hall. After the match, Aliyev attended the ceremony where the winners were awarded their prizes. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also attended the ceremony.
YOUNG FOOTBALLERS FROM 189 COUNTRIES CAME TOGETHER IN BAKU
Azerbaijan became the first host of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, created by a decision of the FIFA Council in December 2025. Teams from 189 national federations, made up of footballers born in 2011 and 2012, took part in the tournament held in Baku between October 24 and 30.
In the tournament, organized with a development-focused format instead of the classic knockout system, no team was eliminated. The teams were divided into different categories according to their performance and a winner was determined in each category. The winner of the highest category became the champion of the tournament.
“THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS DAY”
Spain U-15 National Team Head Coach David Gordo said in a statement to FIFA that the players would never forget the championship won in Baku for the rest of their lives. Gordo said, “Even if they become world champions or Olympic champions in the future, they will always remember this day. FIFA should continue to support this format and tournament, because this experience is priceless for footballers from all over the world.”
HE DID NOT ATTEND THE ORGANIZATION OF TURKIC STATES SUMMIT IN ANKARA
Aliyev did not attend the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in Ankara the same day. According to reports in the Azerbaijani press, Aliyev was unable to be at the summit due to previously planned events and a busy work schedule. The reports stated that Aliyev would instead attend the award ceremony of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku. No direct statement was made by the Azerbaijani Presidency regarding the decision not to attend the summit.
At the summit, Azerbaijan was represented by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, on Aliyev's instructions. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also received Bayramov as part of the summit.