India placed in Group K with Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal at FIFA U15 World Cup

India have been drawn in Group K alongside Bahrain, Cameroon, Grenada, Laos and Senegal for the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in October.

The India U15 men's team will face a demanding three-day qualification schedule, playing five matches at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku.

India will open their campaign against Laos on October 24. They will then play two matches on October 25, first taking on Cameroon before facing Grenada, with both games scheduled on Pitch 1B.

The qualification stage will conclude on October 26 with another double-header for India. They will meet Bahrain on Pitch 9A before playing Senegal on Pitch 8A.

The inaugural tournament has attracted participation from all 191 FIFA Member Associations, with the teams divided into 32 groups. A total of 943 matches will be played across 20 pitches during six days of competition, making the event one of the largest youth football gatherings organised under the FIFA banner.

The FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival will introduce a compact 8v8 format. Matches will consist of two 20-minute halves, separated by a five-minute interval. Games will be played on pitches measuring 68 metres by 50 metres, while rolling substitutions will allow coaches to rotate players throughout the match.

The participating teams are expected to arrive in Baku on October 22, with an official training day scheduled for October 23. The qualification phase will be held from October 24 to 26, followed by a rest day on October 27.

The tournament stage will take place on October 28 and 29, with the various tier finals scheduled for October 30.

India are currently preparing at a camp at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru. The squad is also expected to play international friendly matches in India as part of its preparations before travelling to Azerbaijan. The final squad will comprise 14 players.

The tournament is also part of FIFA's broader plan to expand international opportunities at the U15 level. While the inaugural edition in 2026 is open to boys' teams from all FIFA Member Associations, the 2027 edition will be exclusively for girls. From 2028 onwards, both boys' and girls' U15 teams from FIFA Member Associations will be eligible to participate in separate competitions.

For India, the tournament will provide the country's young players with an opportunity to experience international competition against teams from Asia, Africa, Europe-linked competition structures and the Caribbean, while gaining exposure to a new 8v8 format.