BDSportsTime only Bangladeshi media outlet to cover FIFA U-15 event in Baku
Published: 05:42 PM, 04 November 2026 Last Update: 06:01 PM, 04 November 2026
BDSportsTime only Bangladeshi media outlet to cover FIFA U-15 event in Baku
BDSportsTime founder and editor-in-chief Md Jabed Ali covered all five of Bangladesh's knockout matches, including the final, in Azerbaijan. BDSportsTime was the only Bangladeshi media outlet to cover the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 directly from Baku, Azerbaijan. The platform's founder and editor-in-chief, Md Jabed Ali, travelled to Baku to cover the tournament, where Bangladesh finished runners-up in Tier E. He was the only Bangladeshi journalist reporting from the venue. The tournament took place from October 24 to 30, with teams from 189 countries taking part. Bangladesh reached the Tier E final after winning four consecutive knockout matches.
Bangladesh defeated Seychelles and Singapore on penalties before beating Montenegro 4-0 in the quarter-finals. They then secured a 1-0 win over Gabon in the semi-finals. However, Bangladesh lost 4-1 to the Central African Republic in the final at Baku Crystal Hall on October 30. Ali was present at the venues for all five of Bangladesh's knockout matches, from the first knockout round to the final. He covered the team's performances, celebrations and disappointment after the final defeat. His coverage included match reports, photographs and stories from the tournament.
Besides Bangladesh's matches, he watched teams from Brazil, Argentina and Spain. During the tournament, he took a photograph with an Argentine player wearing the No. 10 jersey. He also received a souvenir key ring with the Spanish Football Federation's logo from Spain coach David Gordo after one of Spain's matches. Ali has been involved in sports journalism since 2010. He founded BDCricTime in 2011, initially known as bdcricteam, and worked with the Bangladesh Cricket Board's media team from 2012 to 2014.
Over the years, he has covered several international cricket tournaments, including ICC World Cups. However, the event in Azerbaijan was his first assignment covering a FIFA-organised football competition. BDSportsTime, a sister concern of BDCricTime, focuses on football and other sports. The platform has been expanding its coverage of international football events. Earlier in 2026, Ali also covered the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia, where Bangladesh's women's national football team made their debut in the competition. He reported from the venues during Bangladesh's matches against China, North Korea and Uzbekistan.
The FIFA U-15 tournament in Baku followed a different format from regular World Cups. Matches lasted 40 minutes, with eight players on each team. After the opening stage, teams were divided into six tiers, with separate finals for each tier. Spain defeated Czechia 3-0 in the Tier A final, while Bangladesh finished second in Tier E. FIFA did not publish an overall ranking of all teams due to the tournament's format.
For BDSportsTime, the tournament was another international football assignment following its coverage of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia earlier this year. The platform covered Bangladesh's journey from the knockout stage to the final, reporting directly from Baku.
