History was made in Baku on Saturday, October 24, as Pakistan played at a FIFA World Cup event for the first time ever. The young Shaheens marked their Pakistan U15 World Cup debut at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan with a performance full of promise, racing into a 2-0 lead against Gambia before their opponents fought back to win 4-2 in the Group AD opener.
A Dream Start to the Pakistan U15 World Cup Campaign
Pakistan could hardly have scripted a better opening. Ameer Hamza gave the Shaheens the lead in just the fifth minute, collecting the ball on the right near the halfway line, driving at the Gambian defence and firing a fierce strike past the goalkeeper. Hamza was at the heart of the second goal too, winning a tackle that sent the ball into the path of Bakshi Hamal Khan, who finished to make it 2-0 before half time. According to the Sports Bulletin match report, Pakistan’s two strikes were the very first goals scored anywhere at the tournament.
The second half told a different story. Gambia, a nation with a proud youth football tradition, levelled the match at 2-2 and then struck twice more, the fourth goal a curling effort into the top corner, to complete the comeback. The final score of 4-2 was harsh on Pakistan’s young players, whose first half display showed exactly why this generation has coaches back home so excited.
Why This Debut Is a Landmark for Pakistan Football
No Pakistan team, men’s or women’s, at any age group, had ever appeared at a FIFA World Cup competition before this week. FIFA confirmed that 78 of the 189 member associations taking part in Baku are making their World Cup debut at the event, and Pakistan’s green shirt is now part of that history. For a football nation that has spent decades on the fringes of the global game, simply walking out at a FIFA tournament is a milestone supporters will remember, in a year that has already brought them an international football title to celebrate.
A Festival Built for Young Players
The Baku event is unlike any World Cup before it. FIFA has brought together 189 member associations and more than 3,000 young players, coaches and officials for almost 1,000 matches across six matchdays. Games are played eight-a-side on smaller pitches, with two halves of 20 minutes and rolling substitutions, a format designed to give every child maximum time on the ball. Most matches are staged at the Hovsan Competition Complex, while the tier finals take place on October 30 at Baku’s Crystal Hall.
Results in the opening round place teams into one of six performance tiers for the second stage, and every team keeps playing until the final day, so nobody goes home early. Away from the pitch, the programme includes educational activities and meetings with FIFA Legends. Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, has explained that the tournament was created because talent exists everywhere, but young players do not always get the same opportunities to test themselves internationally. Fans in Pakistan can follow the action free on FIFA+ through DAZN.
The Boys Who Carried the Flag
Head coach Ihsanullah Khan selected the 14-member Pakistan U15 World Cup squad on the strength of performances at the PFF National U-17 Championship, after a training camp in Lahore that began on October 6, and the final squad flew from Islamabad to Baku on October 20. The players, all born in 2011 or 2012, are Shayan Abdul Jabbar Marwat, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Alam, Maqbool Ahmed, Shahraz Khan, Rameez Riza, Ameer Hamza, Mohammad Mustafa, Ilhan Khan Ali, Bakshi Hamal Khan, Owais Faiz, Zain ul Abideen, Danish Masih and Kaleem Ullah. Before the tournament, the Pakistan Football Federation said the boys were ready to step onto the pitch, give it their all and represent Pakistan with pride. On Saturday, they did exactly that.
It has been a golden week for Pakistan’s young teams across sports. The junior hockey side reached the Sultan of Johor Cup final on the back of wins that included a 6-2 victory over Canada and an 8-3 thrashing of China, and now the footballers have taken their own bow on the world stage.
Four More Matches in Two Days
There is no time to dwell on the defeat. Pakistan return to action on Sunday, October 25, with two matches in a single day, against South Sudan at 1:45 pm Pakistan time and Cyprus at 8:30 pm, before completing their group games on Monday, October 26, against Jordan at 12:30 pm and Nigeria at 7:15 pm. Those results will decide which tier the Shaheens enter for the tournament stage that runs to October 30. Whatever happens next, the Pakistan U15 World Cup story has already delivered its headline: for the first time in history, Pakistan have played, and scored, at a FIFA World Cup.
Sources
- Sports Bulletin, FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026: Gambia beat Pakistan 4-2
- NAM News, Pakistan’s Historic Debut, Gambia Completes a Comeback
- FIFA, 78 Member Associations to make FIFA World Cup debut at U-15 World Cup and Festival
- The News, PFF announces squad for FIFA U-15 World Cup
- Photo: Zulfugar Karimov via Unsplash. File photo of the Baku skyline.
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.