Russia hopes that the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026, which will be held in Azerbaijan this autumn, will mark the beginning of the country's full return to international football competitions.
According to İdman.Biz, this was stated by Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev while commenting on FIFA's decision to allow Russia's boys' and girls' U15 national teams to participate in the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026.
"We welcome FIFA's decision to allow the Russian national team to take part in the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival, which will be held in Azerbaijan in October 2026. This is an important step towards the return of Russian teams to international sport," Degtyarev wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, the Russian side remains in constant contact with FIFA and hopes that the admission of youth national teams will become the first stage of the country's full return to international football, allowing Russian national teams and clubs to compete once again in FIFA and European competitions.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council officially confirmed Azerbaijan as the host of the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival earlier this week. The tournament will take place from October 22 to 31 and will serve as the first edition of FIFA's new global competition for players under the age of 15.
