America News Agency

The official opening ceremony of the first FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival for boys was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, his wife Mehriban Aliyeva, family members and FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the ceremony held on October 24 at Baku Crystal Hall.

Before the ceremony, Aliyev and his delegation met with Infantino and other invited guests. The FIFA President presented commemorative gifts to the Azerbaijani President. The opening program began with the performance of Azerbaijan's national anthem and a video presentation about the tournament.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Samir Sharifov expressed his satisfaction at hosting the competition, which brought together 189 national teams. Referring to cooperation with FIFA, Sharifov thanked the organization for placing its trust in Azerbaijan to host the tournament. He also expressed gratitude to President Aliyev for his support in organizing the event within a short period and to high standards.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, meanwhile, stated that the inaugural U-15 World Cup and Festival brought the world together through football. Infantino said that more than 3,000 players and officials were in Baku, adding that volunteers and staff would also contribute to the tournament alongside the 189 participating teams.

Infantino encouraged the players to enjoy the tournament, compete fairly, respect their opponents and follow the rules of the game. The FIFA President thanked President Aliyev and the Organizing Committee for their contributions to the event.

Following the opening ceremony, a video highlighting the participation of teams from different countries was shown, and the program continued with artistic performances.

After the opening program, President Ilham Aliyev, his wife Mehriban Aliyeva, family members and FIFA President Gianni Infantino watched the match between the national teams of Azerbaijan and Timor-Leste. The match ended in a 6-0 victory for Azerbaijan.

Following the match, Aliyev and his delegation met with the players of the Azerbaijani team. Aliyev congratulated the players and praised the team's performance and the goals they scored.

Describing the tournament as a historic event for Azerbaijan, Aliyev said that the first competition of this scale would go down in history. He added that the victory in the opening match would also be remembered as a lasting achievement and wished the players further success.