Nearly 1,000 matches in six matchdays! Inside Azerbaijan's marathon U-15 World Cup
189 national teams, eight-a-side football and up to 20 matches at once: how the tournament where losing doesn't send you home works.
The ball practically never stops rolling in Baku. The FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, being held in Azerbaijan from Oct. 24 to 30, features close to 1,000 matches over six days of competition, with a schedule that allows up to 20 games to be played simultaneously.
The numbers are just as striking when you look at each team's path: the format calls for four or five matches in the first phase and another four or five in the second. That means eight to 10 games per team, with action through the final matchday regardless of early results.
How do you fit a schedule like that? With eight-a-side football, smaller pitches and 40-minute matches split into two 20-minute halves. The tournament brings together 189 national teams, which after the first phase are sorted into six tiers to keep competing against opponents of similar level.
A loss doesn't mean packing your bags.
So a loss doesn't mean packing your bags. The tournament's bet is on multiplying the chances to play, learn and test yourself internationally. In Azerbaijan, the hunt for a champion comes with a genuine marathon of youth football.
Sources: FIFA · Royal Spanish Football Federation
Have you seen this round's previews?See previews →More stories
Tragedy in Spain: Aguirre's and Fidalgo's Copa del Rey matches postponedA collision between two trains in Toledo led to the suspension of 24 matches. Valencia and Betis already have new dates for their ties.
What is the Messi Cup? The youth tournament featuring the club Leo boughtThe U-16 competition brings together 16 clubs from nine countries in Florida. Among the invitees is UE Cornellà, acquired by Messi this year, which has already beaten Manchester City's youth side.
Brunetta isn't the only one: seven names who could play for Mexico on the road to 2030Some are already Mexican; others would need to naturalize and meet FIFA's requirements. We review the cases with a public track record and three longer-term possibilities.