India beat Cuba 6-4 to finish 87th at FIFA U15 World Cup Festival
Synopsis
India's Under-15 boys ended their debut FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival campaign on a high, thrashing Cuba 6-4 in Baku to place 87th among 189 nations. With five wins, one draw, and four defeats, this inaugural appearance offers a genuine performance baseline — and the goalscoring firepower of Lalremruatfela (9) and Lalawmpuia (8) gives Indian youth football real reason for optimism.
Key Takeaways
India defeated Cuba 6-4 in the 87th-place play-off at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan on 30 October 2026 .
India finished 87th out of 189 competing nations in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Lalremruatfela , Victor Lalawmpuia , and Nibas Meetei Wahengbam each scored twice in the final fixture.
India's full record across 10 matches : 5 wins , 1 draw , 4 defeats .
Lalremruatfela ended as India's top scorer for the tournament with 9 goals ; Victor Lalawmpuia was second with 8 goals .
The Blue Colts built a 6-1 lead before Cuba scored three late goals to make it 6-4 .
India's Under-15 boys signed off on their historic debut at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival with a commanding 6-4 victory over Cuba in the 87th-place play-off at the Hovsan Competition Complex Pitch 1B in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday, 30 October 2026. The win completed a 10-match campaign for the Blue Colts, who finished 87th out of 189 competing nations in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Scorers and Match Summary
Victor Lalawmpuia, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam, and R. Lalremruatfela each found the net twice to power India to a dominant first-half display. The Blue Colts, under head coach Bibiano Fernandes, raced to a 6-1 lead before Cuba mounted a late three-goal rally to narrow the margin. Cuba scored from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, added two more in the 34th and 39th minutes, but the deficit was too great to bridge.
The opening goal came inside the first minute when Lalawmpuia stole possession from Cuba's central defender, held his composure, and placed a precise shot into the bottom-right corner. Muhammad Sohil Khan was instrumental throughout, setting up the second goal with a cross that an unmarked Nibas tapped home at the far post in the sixth minute.
A set-piece routine extended the lead to 3-0 in the 12th minute — Lalremruatfela finishing unmarked after Nara Meitei Loushambam recycled a cleared free-kick into the box. Cuba briefly pulled one back in the 19th minute through an Indian defensive error, but Nibas's powerful long-range strike restored the three-goal cushion in the 22nd minute. Lalawmpuia's deflected left-footed effort made it 5-1 a minute later, before Lalremruatfela completed his brace in the 27th minute with a powerful left-footed finish off Dhannya Desai's goal kick.
Goalkeeper's Contribution
Goalkeeper Dhannya Desai produced several important saves in the opening exchanges to preserve India's early advantage. He was later replaced by Jenit Ningthoujam, who was between the posts during Cuba's three-goal late flurry — a passage the Blue Colts ultimately weathered without conceding further.
India's Full Tournament Record
Across all 10 fixtures of the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival, India registered five wins — against Laos, Cameroon, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba — alongside four defeats to Senegal, Honduras, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan, and one draw against Grenada. The final standing of 87th out of 189 nations marks the first time India has featured in a FIFA global age-group tournament at this level, offering a meaningful benchmark for the programme.
Top Scorers
R. Lalremruatfela finished as India's leading scorer for the tournament with nine goals, followed by Victor Lalawmpuia with eight, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam with four, Macdonnish Ngairangbam and Ronandev Aheibam with three each, and C. Lalhmingropuia and Soumojit Sarkar with one each. The collective tally underlines the striking depth in this group — a positive signal for Indian youth football going forward.
Point of View
But the detail behind the number matters more than the ranking. India's five wins, a multi-goal scorer in Lalremruatfela, and a productive front line built largely from the Northeast signal something structural rather than accidental. The harder question is what happens after the tournament ends — whether these players enter a credible domestic pathway or become another generation of promising teenagers lost to infrastructure gaps. The Blue Colts have shown the talent exists; the Indian football ecosystem now needs to show it can hold onto it.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did India finish at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival 2026?
India finished 87th out of 189 competing nations at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Blue Colts concluded their 10-match campaign with five wins, one draw, and four defeats, signing off with a 6-4 victory over Cuba in the 87th-place play-off.
Who scored for India in the 6-4 win over Cuba?
Victor Lalawmpuia, Nibas Meetei Wahengbam, and R. Lalremruatfela each scored twice in India's 6-4 win over Cuba. All six goals were scored within the first 27 minutes as India raced to a 6-1 lead before Cuba scored three late goals.
Who was India's top scorer at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival?
R. Lalremruatfela finished as India's top scorer with nine goals across the tournament. Victor Lalawmpuia was second with eight goals, followed by Nibas Meetei Wahengbam with four, and Macdonnish Ngairangbam and Ronandev Aheibam with three each.
Which teams did India beat and lose to at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival?
India recorded five wins over Laos, Cameroon, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba, and suffered four defeats against Senegal, Honduras, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. They drew once against Grenada.
Who coached India at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival?
India were coached by Bibiano Fernandes at the FIFA U15 World Cup & Festival in Baku. His side finished 87th in the 189-nation inaugural edition of the competition.
