Poland U-15 to boycott matches against Russia and Belarus

UA.NEWS23
October
2026
19:42

According to Interia Sport, Polish Football Association president Cezary Kulesza said that Poland’s U-15 national team will not take the field if it faces Russia or Belarus in the playoffs of the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 tournament in Azerbaijan.

The position was communicated to FIFA

Kulesza told WP Sportowe Fakty that the Polish Football Association had already communicated its unequivocal position to FIFA. According to him, the Polish team will take part in the tournament but will boycott potential matches against the national teams of Russia and Belarus, which, in the federation’s view, should not compete in these events.

The PZPN president explained the decision by the unwillingness to deprive 15-year-old footballers of the opportunity to play in an international tournament. He called participation in the competition valuable experience for young players.

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Competition format

Invitations to the tournament were received by 211 federations, and 189 confirmed their participation. In the group stage, Poland’s national team will play against Georgia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Namibia, the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.

The teams have registered 14 footballers each. Matches will be played on reduced-size pitches in an eight-a-side format, and the tournament will run from October 24 to 30, 2026. As the publication notes, the PZPN’s position is linked to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. In March 2022, Poland refused to play Russia in the semifinal of the World Cup qualifying playoff for the tournament in Qatar, after which FIFA and UEFA suspended the Russian national team.

Source: www.bing.com