Guyana’s Junior Jaguars to compete in FIFA Global U-15 Boys Festival

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has announced that Guyana’s Junior Jaguars will participate in the inaugural FIFA Global U-15 Boys Festival.
The youth football event is scheduled for October 2026, with the host nation and official tournament dates to be confirmed by FIFA. All 211 FIFA Member Associations are eligible to take part, making the festival one of FIFA’s most inclusive youth development initiatives.
The competition is open to boys born in 2011 and 2012. It will be played in an eight versus eight format on half of a standard FIFA-regulation football field. Matches will consist of two 20-minute halves, with running substitutions allowed.

Guyana’s delegation will include 14 players and six officials. The group will also include a dedicated Child Safeguarding Officer, which the GFF said reflects its commitment to player welfare and child protection.
The GFF Technical Department will lead a comprehensive talent identification process to select the squad. The scouting exercise will include players based in Guyana as well as eligible players from the Guyanese diaspora.
The ongoing GFF Youth Ensemble U-15 Boys Championship will be used as a key platform for identifying players. The tournament features hundreds of young footballers from across the country’s nine Regional Associations each weekend, with the GFF’s talent identification team expected to work along with member associations to assess prospects.
Forde described the FIFA initiative as an important opportunity for young Guyanese players to gain international exposure at a critical stage of their development. He said the experience would help players build confidence, resilience and the mindset needed to compete internationally.
He also noted the Youth Ensemble Championship has created new opportunities to identify talent across the country and expressed confidence that promising players will emerge from communities throughout Guyana.
Forde encouraged parents to support their sons’ football development by promoting discipline, hard work and good values. He also stressed that selection for the Junior Jaguars programme will be based solely on merit.
According to Forde, every eligible boy, whether based in Guyana or in the diaspora, will be given a fair opportunity to earn selection.
The GFF said the FIFA Global U-15 Boys Festival is designed to assess and develop technical and tactical qualities in young players. The small-sided format is expected to increase ball contact, improve decision-making, strengthen technical execution and support better game intelligence.
FIFA will also collect performance data during the festival. That information will be shared with participating member associations to help guide future player development programmes and strengthen grassroots football pathways.
The GFF said its Youth Ensemble Programme remains a central part of its grassroots development strategy. The programme was created to provide young players with structured annual competition, regular match exposure and an environment where youth coaches can develop their technical and tactical work.
The Federation added that further updates on scouting activities, selection criteria and tournament preparations will be provided once more information becomes available from FIFA.