Safonov and Infantino, Getty Images December 18, 2025, 8:20 p.m

FIFA announced the creation of a new series of international tournaments for boys and girls under 15 years of age, which will be held in the format of football festivals. The corresponding decision was made during the meeting of the FIFA Council in Doha.

As the organization’s press service reports, all 211 FIFA member associations will be allowed to participate in these competitions. This means that representatives of Russia will also have the opportunity to play in the tournaments, since the Russian Football Union was not expelled from FIFA, but only suspended from international matches after the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022.

The first tournament of the new series for boys is scheduled for 2026, while the competition for girls should start in 2027.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, commenting on the initiative, emphasized that the creation of such tournaments is an example of the organization’s reinvestment in the development of football and an important step in the desire to give every child a chance to show their talent at the international level.