Infantino thanks Azerbaijani leader for supporting FIFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his support for FIFA and praised Azerbaijan for hosting the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026.

In a post on Instagram, Infantino said he was honoured to meet Aliyev in Baku and thanked him for supporting FIFA and hosting the tournament, Caliber.Az reports. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Gianni Infantino - FIFA President (@gianni_infantino)

“I was honoured to meet with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev, in Baku to thank him for supporting FIFA and for hosting the world at the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026!" he wrote.

Infantino said the Azerbaijani president understood the role football could play in providing opportunities for young people and bringing communities together.

He added that he was pleased to have Aliyev’s backing as FIFA continued its football development projects with the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), led by its president Rovshan Najaf.

By Sabina Mammadli