The players of the National Youth Team, as well as their coaches, who are in Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the first edition of FIFA’s new globaldevelopment program, the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026.
The team is already in Azerbaijan and is preparing with daily training sessions for its matches, which begin this coming Saturday.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
This tournament features 191 national youth teams (with players born in 2011 or 2012). In this unique “World Cup,” our young international players will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience both on and off the field that will help them in their future careers.
Our team’s head coach is Michalis Markou, with Lambros Lambrou as his assistant, and the squad includes the following players:
AEK Larnaca: Ephraim Kyriakou
AEL Limassol: Andreas Zarvos
Anorthosis Famagusta: Georgios Hatzigeorgiou
Ayia Napa: Eirineos Kyriazis
APOEL Nicosia: Konstantinos Markidis
Apollon Limassol: Giorgos Christodoulou, Panagiotis Achilleos
Aris Limassol: Stavros Babalioutas
Ethnikos Assias: Markos Psintridis
Nea Salamina Famagusta: Giannis Tsolakis, Christos Kyriakou
Omonia Nicosia: Orestis Stylianou
Paphos F.C.: Iakovos Nikolaou
Cyprus was drawn into Group AD and will face teams from Nigeria, The Gambia, Jordan, Pakistan, and South Sudan in the first round.
Match schedule (Cyprus time)
Saturday, October
24, 1:30 p.m. Cyprus – Jordan
Sunday, October
25 11:45 a.m. Gambia – Cyprus
6:30 p.m. Pakistan – Cyprus
Monday, October
26 10:30 a.m. Cyprus – Nigeria
5:15 p.m. Cyprus – South Sudan
The matches will be played with 8 players on each side rather than the traditional 11. Each game will last 40 minutes (two 20-minute halves) and will be played on a smaller field.
Upon completion of the preliminary round, all teams will advance to the second phase of the tournament, which will take place on October 28, 29, and 30 October, playing additional matches through the final day of the tournament, regardless of their standing.
