Azerbaijan clinches historic victory at World Minifootball Championship in Baku PHOTO

The Azerbaijani national minifootball team has made history by winning the World Minifootball Championship for the first time, securing the title in front of a jubilant home crowd at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.

On June 1, Elshad Guliyev’s team triumphed over Hungary in a thrilling final, ending the match with a decisive 4–2 victory. The goals were scored by Temkin Khalilzade in the 2nd minute, Muhammad Khalilov in the 8th, and Ravan Karimov in the 10th and 29th minutes, Caliber.Az reports.

In the third-place match, Serbia defeated Montenegro 3–0 to claim the bronze medal.

This historic win marks the first time an Azerbaijani national team has claimed a world championship title in a team ball sport, underlining the country’s growing presence on the international sporting stage.

The championship’s closing ceremony took place at the same venue, with high-level attendance including President of the World Minifootball Federation Filip Juda, Vice President Peter Kralik, and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov.

Minister Gayibov praised the high level of organisation and extended congratulations to the Azerbaijani people for this remarkable achievement. "The Azerbaijani people are thrilled. Deep thanks to the fans who stood by the team," he said, also expressing confidence in the country's ability to successfully host upcoming events such as the UFC tournament and the CIS Games.

Gold medals and the championship trophy were presented to the Azerbaijani team, while Hungary and Serbia received silver and bronze medals respectively.

Head coach Elshad Guliyev expressed his joy after the final whistle, dedicating the team’s victory to the Azerbaijani people. "Congratulations to the people of Azerbaijan — it was a wonderful victory. We secured a solid win because we managed to implement everything we had planned," Guliyev said.

The victory also received international attention. The U.S. Embassy in Baku congratulated the Azerbaijani team on social media, stating: "Congratulations to the Azerbaijani Mini Football Team on winning the World Mini Football Championship for the first time in the history! And best success to the U.S. team next tournament!"

Congratulations to the Azerbaijani Mini Football Team 🇦🇿 on winning the World Mini Football Championship for the first time in the history! ⚽️ And best success to the 🇺🇸 U.S. team next tournament! pic.twitter.com/qXb94Vxmc0

— U.S. Embassy Baku (@USEmbassyBaku) June 1, 2025

By Vugar Khalilov