Ilham Aliyev received members of Azerbaijan national team, winners of the Minifootball World Cup

On June 2, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received members of the Azerbaijan national team, winners of the Minifootball World Cup held in Baku.

The head of state addressed the meeting.

Remarks by President Ilham Aliyev

The Minifootball World Cup held in Baku concluded yesterday. The Azerbaijani national team, demonstrating professionalism and determination throughout every match, emerged as the World Champions. I wholeheartedly congratulate you on this remarkable achievement.

First and foremost, I extend my congratulations to the players, coaches, specialists, the Minifootball Federation, and everyone who contributed to this victory. You have brought immense joy to the Azerbaijani people!

Becoming world champions is a tremendous honor and demands exceptional skill—especially in a team sport. This is a truly historic moment. You are the ones who made history, and I’m proud that Azerbaijan has such outstanding minifootball players.

Those who watched the championship witnessed the undeniable superiority of our players. I personally watched your last four matches, and I can say with complete confidence that this was a victory earned through fair and honest competition. You fully deserve this triumph.

You not only outplayed every opponent on the field but also displayed an incredible sense of teamwork. I could see how close-knit the players are - you are like a family. Without a doubt, this strong team spirit and the positive atmosphere within the squad were key factors in your success, and every spectator could clearly see that.

Everyone who watched the matches - whether in the gymnastics arena or on television - was genuinely thrilled by your performance. Let me say once again: you truly deserve this victory. And more broadly, such victories are a perfect fit for Azerbaijan.

We are a nation that triumphs on the battlefield, in the political arena, and in the world of sports. It is our talented and dedicated youth who bring us the joy of these victories. I offer you my heartfelt congratulations and wish you continued success.

Of course, defending this title won’t be easy. The competition was fierce, and the teams at the World Championship represented the very best in the world. Still, I believe you have every opportunity to bring even more pride to our nation in the future and to uphold Azerbaijan’s sporting glory at the highest level.

Once again, I congratulate you and, on behalf of the Azerbaijani people, thank you for bringing us this incredible joy. Thank you.

President of the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation, Orkhan Mammadov, said:

Dear Mr. President, on behalf of the entire federation, our players, and the coaching staff, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for receiving us today. This is truly an honorable and meaningful day for us—we have become world champions on our home soil.

It’s an incredibly significant achievement for every player. I can tell you that the fans supported us throughout every match, and our people stood by us from their homes, watching on television. Of course, our players worked tirelessly. Like a family, they put their hearts and souls into every game. And the support from the fans gave them a tremendous boost.

Dear Mr. President,

Your unwavering support for sports, youth, and football fans in general has been the cornerstone of our success. Every player is aware of this, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you.

Your support for entrepreneurs is also clearly felt. They have invested in this form of football, helping to build a strong national championship. Thanks to the backing of our sponsors, we’ve been able to create a competitive and vibrant league. It was from this championship that we selected the nation’s top players—those who went on to become not only European champions but now world champions as well.

The last time you received us, we promised to work hard, to earn new titles, and to achieve even greater success. Today, it is a tremendous honor to present this World Cup to you.

I express my deepest gratitude once again. We dedicate this victory to our people, to our Motherland, to you, and to the esteemed Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva. Thank you, thank you very much indeed, Mr. President.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you.

Head coach of the team Elshad Guliyev: On behalf of the team and myself, I would like to sincerely thank you for inviting us here today. When we became European champions in 2022, you spoke with us warmly and shared your valuable guidance. Since that day, we have worked tirelessly to achieve even greater success.

Inshallah, fate has blessed us - and yesterday, we became world champions. We are deeply grateful for this moment. To our people and our federation, we say from the bottom of our hearts: thank you very much!

Thank you once again, Mr. President.

President of the World Minifootball Federation Filip Juda said:

- Dear Mr. President, it is really my honor to be here with all these gentlemen who are representing Azerbaijan so greatly. I would like, in front of you, once again to congratulate them on this big success and also to thank you for bringing this event to Azerbaijan, to this country.

I'm here maybe for the eighth time in Baku, and my first time was in 2017 when I met these gentlemen from the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation. And I must say that they really did a great job. They got the European title, the World title. And I wish you all success for the next editions. I know that your schedule is very busy. I saw you today at Baku Energy Week, which started today. So, thank you very much for having the opportunity to meet us and meet all these gentlemen. I hope that this success will also bring a new generation of minifootball. Because definitely, what you did here positively contributes to a new generation of minifootball and to people and common society in Azerbaijan.

I also hope - and as I know, the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation is making a huge effort - to have a minifootball arena in Azerbaijan. I hope that, together with WMF and the local government, it will be a successful project, because definitely, what these people did - 2022 European Champion, 2025 World Champion—you really deserve. And I'm proud that you are able to be here in front of Mr. President.

Thank you very much also for the invitation, and good luck to all of you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. Thank you very much for your kind words, and thank you for your support on behalf of the Federation for the development of minifootball in Azerbaijan. It's really very valuable, and we highly appreciate the cooperation that the Azerbaijani side has with international sporting institutions.

I am confident that this victory will provide a fresh impetus for the development of minifootball in Azerbaijan. Our national team has now claimed every major title—both European and world champions. Naturally, children, teenagers, the younger generation, and all those celebrating this triumph will show greater interest in minifootball, and the sport’s growth will accelerate across the country.

All members of our national team are young people born and raised right here in Azerbaijan, which is especially significant. Our team has gone through various stages of development, and today we gather at the pinnacle of victory. While foreign specialists contributed in the past, and occasionally foreign players took part, today the Azerbaijani national team is composed exclusively of young Azerbaijanis. This fact fills us with particular pride.

I am certain that you will continue to bring us joy with your future successes. Many competitions lie ahead, and as you know, new sports facilities are being built throughout Azerbaijan. Construction is flourishing, and the development of minifootball pitches will greatly benefit both Baku and the regions. I trust that the federation, in cooperation with public institutions and sponsors, will continue to make great strides in this area.

Once again, I congratulate you all!

President of the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation, Orkhan Mammadov, then presented a keepsake to the head of state.