Pakistan's 14-Player U-15 Squad Leaves for Baku for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, Gambia First on 24 October

Pakistan's 14-player squad for the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 is due to fly from Islamabad to Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday 20 October, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said. Head coach Ihsanullah Khan picked the final 14 from a bigger camp. Pakistan's first match is against Gambia on Saturday 24 October at 3:30 pm Pakistan time.

The squad list was released in a PFF press statement on 16 October and reported the same day. We could not find it on the PFF's own website, which has posted nothing since June 2026, so the names below are as reported. We checked the event details on FIFA's own pages on 20 October 2026.

Pakistan named 14 players for the U-15 World Cup in Baku

The final travelling squad has 14 players, the most FIFA allows for this event. The PFF statement says the players earned their places through their form at the PFF National U-17 Championship 2026. Every player must be born in 2011 or 2012.

The statement did not give positions, clubs or home cities. It also did not say which players from the camp missed out. A 21-player camp was reported earlier in October, which would mean seven were cut, but the PFF has not confirmed that number.

The team leaves Islamabad for Baku on 20 October

The squad is due to leave Islamabad on Tuesday 20 October, the PFF statement said. FIFA's match schedule lists 22 October as arrival day and 23 October as training day. Pakistan's first game is on 24 October, so the players get some time to settle.

Baku is one hour behind Pakistan. A 2:30 pm kick-off in Baku is 3:30 pm in Pakistan. That is the only sum you need to follow the games from home.

The PFF statement called this the first Pakistani squad to take part in a FIFA World Cup event. That is the federation's own description. It is also a new kind of event: FIFA opened it to every member association, so no team had to qualify.

Pakistan play Gambia first, on 24 October at 3:30 pm

Pakistan are in Group AD with Gambia, South Sudan, Cyprus, Jordan and Nigeria. They play five group games in three days, from 24 to 26 October, at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku. Two days have two games each.

These times come from FIFA's match schedule dated 5 October, which we turned into Pakistan time in our U-15 World Cup schedule for Pakistan. FIFA marks every time as "subject to change", so check again on match day.

Matches are eight-a-side with 20-minute halves

FIFA's rules for this event are different from senior football. Games are eight-a-side, with two 20-minute halves, on a 68 by 47 metre pitch with full-size goals. Each team has 14 players and up to six staff.

Small teams and short games mean a squad of 14 gets a lot of minutes. With eight on the pitch, six sit on the bench at any time. So every one of the 14 names above should expect to play in Baku.

Every team plays four or five more games after the group

The event has two stages. After the group games, teams move into one of six tiers based on results, and play four or five more matches against teams of a similar level. The winner of Tier A is named champion. Nobody goes home after the group stage.

FIFA's release, dated 18 September 2026, says almost 1,000 matches are planned and more than 3,000 players, coaches and officials are expected. Here is what happens next for Pakistan:

1. The squad flies to Baku, due on 20 October.
2. Teams arrive by 22 October and train on 23 October.
3. Pakistan play their five group games from 24 to 26 October.
4. 27 October is a rest day.
5. Pakistan's tier games follow on 28 and 29 October.
6. Tier finals are on 30 October at Baku Crystal Hall.

For older Pakistani players, the senior side's next big test is the SAFF Championship in Dhaka, which starts against India on 5 November. The Pakistani channel for it is in our note on where to watch the SAFF Championship.

Common questions

When does Pakistan's U-15 team leave for Baku?

On Tuesday 20 October 2026, from Islamabad, according to the PFF statement of 16 October.

Who is Pakistan's U-15 head coach?

Ihsanullah Khan. The PFF statement says he finalised the 14-player squad.

When is Pakistan's first match at the U-15 World Cup?

Against Gambia on Saturday 24 October 2026, at 3:30 pm Pakistan time, 2:30 pm in Baku.

How many players are in Pakistan's U-15 squad?

14. That is the maximum FIFA allows for each team at this event.

Which players can play at the FIFA U-15 World Cup?

Players born in 2011 or 2012, under FIFA's rules for the 2026 event.

Is the U-15 World Cup on TV in Pakistan?

We could not find a broadcaster or stream for Pakistan in FIFA's or the PFF's pages when we checked on 20 October.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

On 20 October 2026 we read FIFA's release on the U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan, dated 18 September, for the format, squad size and age rule. Fixtures and Pakistan times come from FIFA's match schedule dated 5 October, as read for our 10 October schedule. The squad names, coach and travel date come from the PFF press statement of 16 October as reported; the PFF website showed no post after 8 June 2026 when we checked. We could not confirm the players' positions or clubs, whether the team left on time, or any broadcast in Pakistan.