India Finish 87th at FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival After Eventful Campaign in Baku
Image: AIFF
Baku, October 30: India brought their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026 to an end with a 6-4 victory over Cuba on Friday, finishing 87th among 189 participating teams after ten matches that offered the Blue Colts valuable exposure against opponents from different parts of the world. Bibiano Fernandes’ side finished the tournament with five wins, one draw and four defeats, scoring 30 goals across the competition.
India’s campaign began with confidence in Group K. The Blue Colts defeated Laos 4-2 in their opening match, with Macdonnish Ngairangbam opening the scoring, R Lalremruatfela striking twice and Soumojit Sarkar adding another from long range. It was a strong start in a tournament played in an eight-a-side format, where matches consisted of two 20-minute halves and demanded quick decisions and constant transitions.
Their second match produced one of the most impressive results of the group stage as India beat Cameroon 2-1. An early own goal gave India the lead before Cameroon equalised, but Lalremruatfela restored the advantage in the second half. Goalkeeper Jenit Ningthoujam played an important role in protecting the result, making several saves and stopping a penalty as India recorded their second successive victory.
Later the same day, India appeared to be heading towards another comfortable victory when they took a 3-0 lead against Grenada through goals from Macdonnish, C Lalhmingropuia and Ronandev Aheibam. The match changed sharply in the closing stages, however, as Grenada scored three times in six minutes to earn a 3-3 draw. It was the first major reminder of how quickly games could turn in the shortened format.
India responded well against Bahrain in their fourth group match. Macdonnish and Lalremruatfela gave the Blue Colts a two-goal advantage before Bahrain fought back to level the contest. India again showed character in the closing minutes, with Lalremruatfela restoring the lead and Nibas Meetei Wahengbam adding another as Fernandes’ side won 4-3 and moved to ten points from four matches.
The qualification stage ended with India’s most difficult match of the competition. Senegal proved too strong and won 6-1, with Abdoulaye Diallo scoring four times. Ronandev scored India’s only goal, but the defeat, combined with Cameroon’s victory over Bahrain, left the Blue Colts third in Group K with ten points from five matches. They therefore moved into Tier C, which involved teams competing for positions 65 to 96.
India began the tournament stage with a narrow 1-2 defeat against Honduras. Ronandev equalised in the second half after Honduras had taken the lead, but Alejandro Amaya restored the Central American side’s advantage late in the match. India came close to another equaliser when Nara Meitei Loushambam struck the crossbar in the closing seconds, but the defeat moved them into the lower section of the Tier C bracket.
The Blue Colts responded later that day with one of their best performances of the tournament. Trailing Trinidad and Tobago 0-2 at half-time, India produced an excellent second-half comeback to win 3-2. Victor Lalawmpuia scored twice in quick succession before Lalremruatfela completed the turnaround, taking India into the next round for positions 81 to 88.
Afghanistan then ended India’s hopes of finishing inside the top 84 with a 2-1 victory. India created chances but fell two goals behind before Nibas scored late to give the Blue Colts hope. The equaliser did not arrive, and India moved into the classification matches for positions 85 to 88.
Their next match against Kazakhstan became one of the most dramatic games of the campaign. India went 0-3 down but recovered to lead 4-3 before the interval, with Lalawmpuia playing a central role in the comeback. Kazakhstan regained the lead after the break, but Lalawmpuia scored his fourth goal of the match to make it 5-5 and force a penalty shootout. Kazakhstan eventually won 5-4 on penalties, leaving India to play Cuba for 87th place.
India finished the tournament on a winning note. Lalawmpuia, Nibas and Lalremruatfela scored twice each in a 6-4 victory over Cuba, with India at one stage leading 6-1 before their opponents reduced the margin late in the game. The result confirmed 87th place for the Blue Colts and completed a ten-match campaign that featured five victories over Laos, Cameroon, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba.
Lalremruatfela finished as India’s leading scorer with nine goals, followed closely by Lalawmpuia with eight. Nibas scored four, while Macdonnish and Ronandev contributed three each. C Lalhmingropuia and Soumojit Sarkar also found the net during the tournament.
The final position of 87th does not tell the entire story of India’s week in Baku. The team showed that it could compete strongly against different styles, particularly in the wins over Cameroon and Bahrain, while the comebacks against Trinidad and Tobago and Kazakhstan highlighted the attacking confidence within the group. At the same time, the collapse from 3-0 up against Grenada and the heavy defeat to Senegal showed areas where game management, defensive organisation and concentration will need further work.
For a group of players experiencing a global tournament at this age, the value was also in the number and variety of matches. India played ten games in seven days against teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, Central America and the Caribbean, giving Fernandes and his coaching staff a clear picture of how the players responded technically, physically and mentally in a demanding international environment.
India may have finished 87th in the first edition of the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival, but the tournament offered something more useful than a final number. It gave a young group ten international matches, difficult situations to solve, victories to build confidence and defeats from which to learn. For many of these players, Baku represented the first step in a much longer journey through international football.
India’s Campaign:
Laos 2-4 India,
India 2-1 Cameroon,
Grenada 3-3 India,
Bahrain 3-4 India,
India 1-6 Senegal,
Honduras 2-1 India,
Trinidad and Tobago 2-3 India,
India 1-2 Afghanistan,
India 5-5 Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan won 5-4 on penalties),
India 6-4 Cuba.
Final Position: 87th out of 189 teams
Matches: 10
Wins: 5
Draws: 1
Defeats: 4
Goals Scored: 30
Goals Conceded: 30
Top Scorer: R Lalremruatfela – 9 goals
