By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Sierra Leone are among nations confirmed to take part in the biennial invitational FIFA Series tournament, an initiative promoted by FIFA that brings together national teams from different confederations for a series of competitive international friendlies. The programme is designed to enhance competitive opportunities for teams that rarely play outside their regions, helping with development, exposure, and preparation ahead of major competitions.
The 2026 edition, whose full fixture schedule was published on the association’s official website on Monday, will be staged between March and April in alignment with the FIFA international match window. The FIFA Series 2026 will mark the second staging of the competition following the 2024 pilot phase and represents a significant expansion of the project.
FIFA has earlier confirmed the hosts and group compositions for both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The country’s senior men’s national team, Leone Stars, have been drawn in the Azerbaijan group alongside hosts Azerbaijan, Oman and Saint Lucia. According to the schedule released by FIFA on Monday, Leone Stars will face Oman at the Dalga Arena in Baku on March 27th, 2026. Should Sierra Leone secure a win against Oman, they will face the winner between Azerbaijan and Saint Lucia. A defeat would see Leone Stars play the losing side of that fixture on March 30th, 2026.
Participating Member Associations were allowed to select their preferred formats within each group, either adopting a semi-final and final structure or arranging pre-determined fixtures. Regardless of format, every group will produce a winner. Matches tied at full time will proceed directly to penalty shoot-outs, with no extra time, ensuring decisive outcomes and competitive intensity.
The expanded FIFA Series 2026 will feature 48 national teams competing across 12 groups of four during the international window. This represents nearly a quarter of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, underlining the global reach of the initiative. Eleven countries will host the tournament, with Rwanda staging two groups, while the competition structure will include nine men’s and three women’s events.
Confirmed hosts for the men’s competition are Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Rwanda and Uzbekistan, while the women’s contests will be held in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand. All six confederations will be represented, highlighting the truly global nature of the FIFA Series.
On the men’s side, the participating teams span the full breadth of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, from established sides such as Australia to emerging football nations like the United States Virgin Islands. This diversity reflects FIFA’s commitment to creating meaningful competition for Member Associations at every stage of development.
Notably, five teams involved in the 2026 edition, Australia, Cabo Verde, Curaçao, New Zealand and Uzbekistan, have also qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, demonstrating the competitive relevance of the initiative beyond its developmental objectives.
The FIFA Series remains aligned with FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game (2023-2027), providing structured opportunities for cross-confederation matches without adding pressure to the international calendar. The programme also promotes technical growth, organisational development and global exchange among Member Associations.