Two 6-0 wins in their last two matches turned a difficult tournament into a statement for Saint Lucia's Under 15 footballers, who closed the inaugural FIFA Boys Under 15 Festival in Baku with back-to-back routings after an opening pair of narrow losses.
As reported by The Voice St. Lucia News, the young Saint Lucians began the second stage of the competition with a 2-1 defeat by the Turks and Caicos Islands, despite a goal from Jese Noel. Suriname then edged them 3-2, with Ajani Walker and Stewart Emmanuel scoring for Saint Lucia.
Whatever was said at training between matches clearly worked. In their third game the island side overwhelmed American Samoa, with braces from Leon Vidal and Jayden Emmanuel and further goals from Jesse Noel and Leon Griffith sealing the 6-0 scoreline.
The final group match brought the same result against Bhutan. Mikel Florent scored twice, and Anaij Polius, Ajani Walker, Leon Vidal and Randall Monroe added the rest as Saint Lucia ran out 6-0 winners again.
A member of the technical staff described the campaign as one of the island's better performances at the Festival, and the record supports that view: eight goals conceded in two defeats, twelve scored and none against in two emphatic victories.
The tournament was no small affair. More than 3,000 players, coaches and officials travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the first FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival of 2026, which ran from the opening matches on 24 October to the finals on 30 October.
Football is the sport most widely played on Saint Lucia, from village fields and beach strips to floodlit artificial pitches, and the Saint Lucia Football Association was founded in 1979, joining FIFA in 1988. The men's national team has contested qualifying campaigns for decades and played in the CONCACAF Nations League, though a men's World Cup finals appearance still eludes the island. A generation of Under 15 players winning heavily on a world stage is exactly the pipeline that football in Saint Lucia has long wanted.
The squad is currently in transit and is expected back on Saint Lucian soil next week, where the result will be followed closely by the clubs and school programmes that produced the players.
For visitors, the football scene is part of the island's appeal. Ask at your hotel about local fixtures and you will usually be pointed to a match nearby, and grounds such as the Philip Marcellin Grounds in Vieux Fort have stands and floodlights for a proper evening game. Travellers booking holidays to St Lucia during qualifying windows can often catch a competitive international as well as a friendly village fixture.
Football sits alongside a full sporting calendar, and cricket in St Lucia draws a devoted following through the Windward Islands competitions, so sport in Saint Lucia offers plenty for a visiting fan beyond the beach.
If the football has you thinking about a trip, the games sit neatly alongside the island's other draws: hiking in St Lucia through rainforest trails, or a slow afternoon on the west coast near the Pitons. Flights to St Lucia from the UK make a week-long football and beach combination entirely feasible this winter.
Where you base yourself matters for match nights. Hotels in St Lucia cluster around Rodney Bay and Castries in the north, close to the main grounds and nightlife, while the south puts you nearer Vieux Fort. The best time to visit St Lucia for sport and sun together is generally December to April, when the pitches are busy and the weather driest.
Questions and answers
How did Saint Lucia's Under 15s do at the FIFA Boys Under 15 Festival?
They lost their first two matches, 2-1 to the Turks and Caicos Islands and 3-2 to Suriname, then won their last two games 6-0 against both American Samoa and Bhutan. A member of the technical staff called it one of Saint Lucia's better performances at the Festival.
Who scored for Saint Lucia at the Under 15 festival in Baku?
Jese Noel scored against the Turks and Caicos Islands, Ajani Walker and Stewart Emmanuel against Suriname, Leon Vidal and Jayden Emmanuel each scored twice against American Samoa, and Mikel Florent got a brace against Bhutan. Anaij Polius, Leon Griffith and Randall Monroe also scored.
When and where was the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 held?
It was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, with more than 3,000 players, coaches and officials taking part. Matches began on 24 October and the finals were played on 30 October.
When is the Saint Lucia Under 15 team coming home?
The squad was making its way back from Azerbaijan and was expected to arrive on Saint Lucian soil next week, according to the report.
Plan your St Lucia holiday
- Hotels in St Lucia: resorts, villas and boutique stays compared.
- Things to do in St Lucia: from the Pitons to the sulphur springs.
- Best time to visit St Lucia: weather, seasons and prices by month.
- Flights to St Lucia: routes from the UK and what to expect.
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