Latvia’s under-15 national football squad is preparing to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival.
Latvian U-15 Squad Set for Baku Debut
Young athletes born in 2011 and selected from the Latvian Football Federation Academy will represent the country at the first FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The tournament utilizes a novel format designed to connect youth players from 191 nations through roughly 1,000 short-form matches across six days of competition.
Matches will be played in an eight-versus-eight structure. Each game lasts two 20-minute halves.
The opening stage pits the Latvian team against Scotland on October 24, Gabon on October 25, and both Lesotho and Bulgaria on October 26.
Depending on group performance, the squad faces four to five additional fixtures before the competition wraps up on October 30.
The federation notes that similar festivals for girls’ under-15 teams will launch next year.
Kirils Buravcevs Leads Youth Selection in Baku
Kirils Buravcevs serves as head coach for the youth selection in Baku.
- Goalkeepers: Lukass Jalovecks (Riga FC Academy) and Reinis Žmogins (RFS Academy / Internacional Huesca, Spain)
- Defenders: Francis Egle (FK Metta), Alberts Avots (JDFS Alberts), Kārlis Gulbis (RFS Academy), and Roberts Jablokovs (Riga FC Academy)
- Midfielders: Ralfs Šuklais (Liepājas Futbola skola), Pauls Brants (FK Metta), Martins Senkāns (RFS Academy), Marks Zanders (Riga FC Academy), and Emīls Dergačs (JDFS Alberts)
- Forwards: Rauls Vītols (Riga FC Academy), Augusts Leinasaris (RFS Academy), and Anrijs Čampers (Liepājas Futbola skola)
Guidelines Issued for Competing Alongside Aggressor Nations
The Latvian Olympic Committee has published specific directives instructing Latvian athletes who find themselves competing in events alongside representatives from aggressor states Russia and Belarus to strictly adhere to sports federation rules while actively maintaining distance from those competitors.