A World Cup With 211 Teams? FIFA Explored New U-15 Football Festival Before Dropping Private Investment Plans
Imagine a football tournament where every FIFA member gets a place. No qualifiers. No early exits. No country left out. That was the idea behind a proposed FIFA Under-15 'World Cup' that could have brought together all 211 FIFA member nations in a youth football festival inspired by baseball's famous Little League World Series, as per reports from the New York Times . But there was another big…
FIFA once contemplated a groundbreaking Under-15 World Cup that would have featured all 211 member nations in a single youth football festival. Inspired by baseball's Little League World Series, this proposed tournament would have had no qualifiers, early exits, or exclusions. The plan was to involve 32 groups of six or seven teams, providing unprecedented exposure for the world's best under 15s.
Businessman Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Eldridge Industries, along with ESPN, explored the possibility of private investment to turn the U-15 tournament into a major global sports event. However, the plan was dropped shortly before the 2026 Men's World Cup, with debates surrounding FIFA's discussions with private investors potentially influencing the decision.
Despite the setback, FIFA remains committed to expanding the U-15 project into a more significant global youth competition.
Written by urgent.news from Free Press Journal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
