Nigeria's Future Eagles kick off the knockout stage of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival against New Caledonia on Wednesday in Baku, Azerbaijan, in a Tier C Round of 32 clash.

Both sides reached Tier C after finishing third in their respective groups during the qualification stage. Nigeria ended Group AD in third place, accumulating seven points from five matches — one victory and four draws — with 11 goals scored and 10 conceded.

Ijach leads the charge

Captain Timothy Ijach has been the standout performer for the Future Eagles, netting in four consecutive matches. Midfielders Wisdom Oche and Abdulrazak Mufutau have also caught the eye throughout the group phase, giving head coach Patrick Bassey an unbeaten record heading into the last 32.

New Caledonia arrive at this stage having finished third in Group AA, earning their place in the same Tier C bracket.

How the Festival format works

The FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival operates on a unique tiered structure designed to guarantee every participating team meaningful football beyond the group stage. No side is eliminated early — instead, all teams are sorted into six performance-based tiers according to their group-stage finish.

Group winners advance to Tier A and compete for the overall title, runners-up move into Tier B, and third-placed finishers — including Nigeria — contest Tier C, where 32 teams battle through a knockout bracket to determine their final ranking.

The Round of 32 takes place on Wednesday, with the Round of 16 and placement matches scheduled for Thursday 29th October. The Tier C final and ranking matches will be decided on Friday 30th October.