FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the UAE's under-15 national team in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the inaugural FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival, shortly after the squad's 2-0 win over Congo. The result kept the young Emirati side on a strong run through the tournament's group stage.
The event, running from October 24 to 30 in Baku, marks FIFA's first-ever World Cup for the under-15 age group and has drawn 189 member associations and more than 3,000 participants, making it one of the governing body's largest youth-development initiatives to date. Matches are played in an eight-a-side format, which FIFA says better suits player development at this age.
The UAE team has impressed defensively, conceding just two goals across its last six matches, a record that places it among the tournament's most solid defensive units. The squad is set to face Iran in the round of 16 on Wednesday, a fixture expected to draw significant attention from football fans across the region.
FIFA has already outlined plans to extend the format, with a girls' edition scheduled for 2027 and separate annual editions for both boys and girls from 2028 onward. Infantino's visit to the UAE camp is being read by observers as a signal of FIFA's broader push to invest in grassroots and youth football development across the Middle East, a region the governing body has increasingly prioritised in its long-term strategy.
For the UAE Football Association, a strong showing at this inaugural tournament could serve as a marker of progress in its youth pipeline, with the under-15 squad's defensive record already standing out among a field of 189 nations.