The “Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge” tournament was held in Madrid, Spain, bringing together youth football teams from 17 countries. With the general sponsorship of ABB Bank, Azerbaijan was represented at the tournament for the third time. All matches were held on the training grounds of the Real Madrid CF Academy.
The U12 team representing Azerbaijan advanced to the semifinals of the Gold League, where they drew 2:2 with a team from Mexico. After losing in a penalty shootout, the team secured a 3:1 victory over Canada in the next match. As a result, among 30 participating teams, the Azerbaijani team finished in 3rd place and won bronze medals.
Under the leadership of head coach Rovshan Babayev, the following young players took part in the tournament: Bavver Ayaz Bakir, Aylin Huseynova, Sara Mammadova, Ali Karimzade, Naim Mammadov, Javad Aliyev, Jamal Huseynbeyli, Mikayil Samedov, Islam Khanbabazade, Ertugrul Nadir, Rauf Rahimov, Hasan Khalilov, Jahangir Iman, and Ismayil Sadiq.
During the tournament, members of the Azerbaijani team also met the legendary footballer Roberto Carlos.
All participating teams were selected through the “Real Madrid Foundation Clinic” program, implemented in various countries. In June 2025, the program was held in Azerbaijan for the third time. As part of the project, implemented with the general sponsorship of ABB Bank and supported by partners Visa and Epoint, a football camp was organized at Sabis Sun International School. Following the selection process, the “Azerbaijan Footland” team was formed from the best players.
The “Real Madrid Foundation Azerbaijan Clinic” program is scheduled to be held again in Baku from June 22 to 26, 2026.
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