Canada Soccer announced on Friday that three players from the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy have been selected for the 14-player squad that will represent Canada Soccer’s Men’s U-15 National Team (CANM15) at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026™, taking place from October 24 to 30 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Included on the roster are goalkeeper Jaskaran Singh, defender Elliott Kim, and forward Yele Dazirignon.
Canada has been drawn into Group P alongside Guinea, Guatemala, Singapore, American Samoa and Honduras. All qualification-stage matches will be played at the Hovsan Competition Complex.
- vs. Guinea on Saturday, October 24
- vs. Guatemala and Singapore on Sunday, October 25
- vs. American Samoa and Honduras on Monday, October 26
The tournament marks the first time FIFA has staged a World Cup at the U-15 level. Open to all FIFA Member Associations, the event brings 188 national teams to Baku for nearly 1,000 matches across six matchdays, making it the largest tournament in FIFA’s history.
“This is a special opportunity for this group to be part of the first FIFA U-15 World Cup. It will be their first major international tournament, and experiencing it so early in their careers will be a great foundation for them. The tournament format gives them the chance to play a lot of football against opponents from around the world, with different styles and challenges every day. We look forward to seeing them play with a lot of confidence, at a high level of competition, and represent Canada with pride.”
- Andrew Olivieri, Canada Soccer Men’s Youth Excel Director
Built around player development, the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival features a format unlike any other FIFA competition. Matches are played eight-a-side over two 20-minute halves on a 68m × 47m pitch with full-size goals, with unlimited substitutions, kick-ins replacing throw-ins, and offside applied only beyond lines marked 14 metres from goal. There are no knockout rounds. Results from the five-match qualification stage will place each team into one of six performance tiers for the tournament stage, where every team continues to play through to the final matchday. Each tier crowns its own winner, with the Tier A champion named the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival champion at Baku Crystal Hall on October 30.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All of Canada’s matches at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival Azerbaijan 2026™ will stream live on FIFA+. Fans can follow extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, Threads and YouTube, using the hashtag #CANM15.