By Sachit Subba • Off-Field • Aug 13, 2026 16:36 PM • 50 views
FIFA has granted Nepal an administrative exemption, allowing the country to participate in the upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Azerbaijan despite its current global suspension.
The agreement between FIFA and the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) allows Nepal’s youth team to compete from October 22 to October 31. ANFA says the exemption is based on Nepal completing its registration before June 25, when FIFA suspended the association due to government interference.
In response, ANFA launched a nationwide talent search to form the team. The selection process includes district trials from August 16 to August 24, followed by provincial rounds from August 28 to August 30. Finalists will attend a central trial in the capital from September 3 to September 6 to determine Azerbaijan's squad.
The U-15 exception stands out against an otherwise bleak landscape for Nepali sports. FIFA suspended ANFA on June 25 due to political interference, isolating Nepal from international football. During the suspension, national teams cannot participate in international matches, and development funding is frozen. Organisers included Nepal in the draw for November’s SAFF Championship in Bangladesh; officials set a hard deadline: if FIFA does not lift the suspension by September 30, Nepal will be excluded. Facing total international paralysis, players, coaches, and administrators have taken to social media, launching direct public appeals to Prime Minister Balendra Shah to end government intervention and restore full membership before time runs out.
