FIFA U-15: Congo finish 59th in world, 17th in Africa

Congo have wrapped up their participation in the first edition of the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival, held from 24 to 30 October 2026 at the Hovsan Olympic Sports Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a record of six wins, three defeats and one draw in ten matches. The run leaves them in 59th place worldwide and 17th on the African continent.

Convincing start despite first setback

The young Red Devils made a good start to the tournament, beating Tajikistan (3-2), Kuwait (3-0), Chile (3-2) and Barbados (4-0) in succession. That momentum was then halted by a defeat to Spain (2-4). Despite that first setback, the Congolese pushed on to the knockout phase, where they lost to the United Arab Emirates (0-2), ending their hopes in the race for the title.

Finishing on a high

Switched to the classification matches, the Congolese youngsters got back to winning ways against Jamaica (4-1). They were then held by Bolivia (2-2), before losing the penalty shoot-out (5-4). In their final outing, the young Red Devils ended on a positive note by beating Georgia (5-2).

An experience to build on for the next generation

Beyond their final position in the standings, this first appearance on the world stage allowed the young Congolese to test themselves against different footballing schools and gauge their potential against opponents from a range of backgrounds. The six wins in particular show their ability to compete and to get results on the international stage.

This experience now serves as a benchmark for youth development in Congo. The challenge will be to keep this generation together, to ensure regular follow-up of the young talents and to capitalise on the lessons learned from this tournament in preparing the next generation of the national game.