England U15 brought their campaign at the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 24 to 30 October, to a close with a record of seven wins and three defeats. Led by Matt Thorpe, the Young Lions scored 31 goals across their ten matches and rounded off their tournament with victory over Bolivia in the Division B final.
An inaugural tournament with a unique format
The first-ever FIFA U15 World Cup aimed to bring together nearly 190 FIFA member associations in a competition focused on the development of young players. Unlike traditional international tournaments, the event featured an eight-a-side format, including goalkeepers, with matches played over two 20-minute halves on a reduced-size pitch measuring 68 metres by 47 metres.
Each national team had a 14-player squad and was permitted to make unlimited substitutions. Throw-ins were replaced by kick-ins, while the offside rule only applied beyond specially marked lines. The competition also featured an important distinction: following an initial group stage, teams were allocated to different divisions based on their results. All teams then continued in the tournament, with a separate knockout pathway for each division. Only Division A determined the official FIFA U15 World Cup winners.
Seven wins and three defeats for the Young Lions
England made a perfect start to the competition, winning their first three fixtures against Nicaragua (4-0), Montenegro (2-1) and Cambodia (10-0). With 16 goals scored in just three matches, Matt Thorpe’s side quickly showcased their attacking potential and headed into the remainder of the preliminary phase in excellent form.
However, the fixture against the Republic of Ireland proved to be a turning point. With both sides competing for top spot in the group, the Irish were leading 4-1 in the closing seconds when tensions flared between several players. An England international was reportedly subjected to a racist insult from an opponent. After alerting the coaching staff to the incident, the England players left the pitch on the instructions of head coach Matt Thorpe. The referee subsequently abandoned the match, with play never restarting. Despite the circumstances, the result stood as a 4-1 defeat for the Young Lions, rather than a forfeit.
England returned to winning ways in their final preliminary-stage fixture, beating Zimbabwe 2-0. Their record of three wins and one defeat saw them progress to Division B for the next phase of the tournament. After what may have been a disappointing end to the group stage, the second phase proved more challenging. On Wednesday, 28 October, England first suffered a 3-2 defeat to Zambia despite holding a two-goal lead, before losing 3-1 to Türkiye. Those two defeats ended the Young Lions’ hopes of progressing further in the upper reaches of their division.
The Young Lions nevertheless responded in impressive fashion the following day. They began by recording a convincing 4-0 quarter-final victory over El Salvador before overcoming Georgia 2-0 in the semi-finals. Two assured performances secured their place in the Division B final. To round off their tournament, Matt Thorpe’s side eventually came through a closely contested encounter against Bolivia, winning 3-2 on Friday, 30 October, thanks to a penalty in the closing seconds. The victory allowed England to finish the inaugural edition on a high, with seven wins from ten matches and the Division B title to their name. Meanwhile, Spain claimed the Division A title, beating the Czech Republic 3-0 in the final.
On an individual level, several England players made their mark in front of goal. Tommy McLoughlin finished as the Young Lions’ leading scorer with six goals, ahead of Azae Bonnick and Ty Livesey, who each netted five times. Isaac Allen and Kobi Akerele scored four goals apiece, while Shakeel Charles and Emmanuel Famokun both contributed three. Defender Rocco Derefaka completed the scoring list with one goal. In total, the Young Lions found the net 31 times across their ten fixtures, including ten goals in their emphatic victory over Cambodia. Their attacking output was undoubtedly one of the major positives to emerge from their campaign in Azerbaijan.
