KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia emerged as the only Southeast Asian team to advance to Tier B of the 2026 FIFA Under-15 (U-15) World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The national youth squad, coached by P. Maniam, achieved the feat after finishing second in Group H with three wins, one draw and one defeat, qualifying for the Tier B Round of 32.
Tier B is the tournament’s second-highest tier, featuring teams ranked between 33rd and 64th.
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan described the achievement as proof of the national youth players’ ability to compete on the international stage, while reflecting the positive development of grassroots football in the country.
“I am happy and satisfied with the performance shown by the national U-15 football squad coached by P. Maniam at the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“What we are even more proud of is that Malaysia emerged as the only team from Southeast Asia to advance to Tier B, proving the ability of our national youth squad to compete on the international stage,” he said in an FAM statement today.
Ab Ghani said the achievement deserved recognition, reflecting the effort, commitment, discipline and fighting spirit shown by the players as they faced teams from various countries.
He also praised the coaching staff and players for their hard work and dedication in preparing for the tournament and achieving the result.
The Harimau Malaya U-15 squad are scheduled to face South Africa in the Tier B Round of 32 tomorrow.
The inaugural tournament featured 191 countries, initially divided into 24 groups, with the final group standings determining their placement in Tiers A to F. The tier competitions are scheduled to take place from Oct 28 to 30.