Inaugural tournament brings together players from 189 countries in Azerbaijan
Arsène Wenger says players will take happy moments home but also have to focus on improving.
FIFA is providing more opportunities for all Member Associations to play meaningful matches
The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival™, bringing together players from 189 countries in a one-week event, is an example of what football should be, with players from different cultures and backgrounds mixing off the pitch as well as competing on it, FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger has said.
More than 3,000 young players and coaches are participating in the tournament’s first edition in Azerbaijan, with most of games staged at the purpose-built Hovsan Competition Complex.
“The first thing that comes out is the image of happiness and excitement. To see the whole world here together and organise a tournament with basically 190 teams and do that all in one week, and (give them the chance) to live in the same place, with the players so happy, so committed, and to see the whole world like that…..is just what football should do, always,” Mr Wenger said.
“What happens outside the pitch here is basically as important as what happens on the pitch because the coaches communicate together, the players communicate together, and that is why they know [they're experiencing] a special moment and they are grateful for it.”
The tournament addresses a fundamental challenge in international football: providing meaningful competitive opportunities for nations in which qualifying for FIFA competitions remains an enormous challenge. The tournament enables every Member Association (MA) to experience international competition, benchmark itself against counterparts from around the world and inspire the next generation of players, coaches and technical staff. Seventy-eight of the participating MAs have never previously featured on the global stage in any age category.
It also uses an innovative 8v8 format with 20-minute halves, designed to maximise player development and match experience – something that Mr Wenger said was proving successful.
“I would say it's working perfectly well. We wanted it to be a reduced number, not 11 against 11, because the difference between the countries would be too big. We wanted, as well, shorter games (so) that everybody can meet everybody,” Mr Wenger said.
When you say, ‘Give every talent a chance’, it's about opportunity. Here they can come, play and discover that they have the needed quality to exist at the top level.
“In life, when you love a sport, you want to know how good you are. So, you have to play against everybody, so that the teams, the smaller countries, play against the bigger countries, and they can go home after, certainly full of dreams and of happy moments, but as well, they can know what they have to focus on to improve because they know where they stand.”
He added: “We have seen many smaller countries competing with the bigger countries so that is important that they meet …… You want an opportunity to develop. When you say, ‘Give every talent a chance’, it's about opportunity. Here they can come, play and discover that they have the needed quality to exist at the top level.”
More than 500 players at the event have attended FIFA Talent Academies, which have been set up in more than 60 MAs as part of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS). This, in turn, aims to give every talent a chance by helping MAs find and coach the most talented players.
“We started this project because we felt there is a need there, but you never know how successful it will be,” Mr Wenger said. “And we discovered many hurdles when we established this academy. So, to see today that, after three years already, we have players who can successfully compete, is a huge comfort for us, and we are, of course, very satisfied with it.”