The Cayman Islands Boys Under-15 National Team is set to participate in the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026, joining youth national teams from around the world for the landmark competition in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Oct. 24-30. Led by Head Coach Ian Lindo, the Cayman Islands have been drawn into Group S alongside Egypt, Iraq, Macau, China, St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago. Cayman opens its campaign versus Iraq on Saturday, Oct. 24, before facing Egypt and Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, Oct. 25.
The team will conclude the initial group stage with matches against Macau, China, and St. Kitts and Nevis on Monday, Oct. 26. "This is a tremendous opportunity for our young players, and one that we are all looking forward to," Lindo said. "To represent the Cayman Islands at a FIFA tournament and compete against countries from different parts of the world is something special. We want the boys to embrace the experience, play with confidence and show what they are capable of. The exposure to different playing styles, the demands of international competition and the opportunity to learn from every match will be invaluable for these players as they continue to progress through our national team program."
Cayman’s team includes: Alex McAuliffe Kale Merriott Kupakwashe Mutomba Marvin Hinds Jr Trey Webster Caelan Foreshaw Kenardenio Henry Liam Forrest Samuel Morrison Xavi Tibbetts Eric McField Keshawn Brown Luke Watson Trey Lewy The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival is a new initiative designed to expand access to international football for young players and provide meaningful competitive opportunities at an important stage of their development. The competition will feature an eight-a-side format, with matches consisting of two 20-minute halves on smaller pitches. The modified format is intended to increase players' involvement in matches, encourage technical development and provide more opportunities to make decisions on the ball. Following the initial round-robin group stage, teams will be placed into one of six competitive tiers based on their results.
Every participating team will continue playing during the tournament stage, ensuring additional international match experience regardless of its group-stage finish. The event is expected to feature approximately 190 FIFA member associations and nearly 1,000 matches, making it one of the largest youth football competitions ever organised by FIFA. Cayman Islands Group S schedule All times are Cayman Islands local time. Saturday, Oct. 24 • Iraq vs. Cayman Islands — 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 • Cayman Islands vs. Egypt — 1:15 a.m. • Trinidad and Tobago vs. Cayman Islands — 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26 • Cayman Islands vs. Macau, China — 12 a.m. (midnight) • St. Kitts and Nevis vs. Cayman Islands — 6:45 a.m. The tournament stage will follow Oct. 28-30, with matchups determined by results in the opening group stage. The Cayman Islands' group-stage matches will be played at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku.