The Belize U-15 Male National Football Team competed in the inaugural 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 24 to 30. Among the young players representing Belize was San Pedro’s Malick Bowden, who gained valuable international experience alongside his teammates.
The competition featured an eight-a-side format, with a round-robin qualification stage followed by a tier-based tournament stage. Belize opened its qualification campaign with a 1-1 draw against Liberia. On October 25, the team earned a 3-2 victory over Curaçao before suffering a 6-0 defeat to Morocco later that day. Belize finished third in Group F.
The team then advanced to Tier E of the tournament stage. On October 26, Belize lost 8-2 to Costa Rica and 1-0 to the Philippines. On October 28, the team fell to Equatorial Guinea 4-3 on penalties. The following day, Belize suffered a 4-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau. The boys also recorded a 3-2 victory over Turks and Caicos before losing 3-2 to Guyana in the semifinals.
Belize faced Mongolia in the final on October 30. After a 2-2 draw, the game went to a penalty shootout, with Mongolia winning 4-2.
Bowden described participating in the international tournament as the experience of a lifetime. He said he was happy and proud to have had the opportunity to represent San Pedro and Belize. Bowden, who has also played with the San Pedro Pirates’ youth program, plans to continue developing his skills and applying what he learned at the tournament.
The event brought together 189 national teams from around the world, with Spain claiming the championship. The tournament is set to return in 2027 with a girls’ edition.