Puerto Rico’s under-15 boys soccer team finished its run at the World Cup & Under-15 Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a record of three wins and four losses. The result still marked a historic performance, as the island earned victories against several teams in its first men’s soccer World Cup. The campaign opened with a 1-3 group-stage loss to Somalia, followed by a historic 4-2 win over New Zealand and a 3-1 victory over Guinea-Bissau.
In the round of 16 in Group E, Puerto Rico beat Israel 3-0, but fell in the quarterfinals to the Central African Republic, 1-2. In a consolation match against Palestine, the boricuas drew 3-3 in regulation but lost 2-4 on penalties. In the final game, for 135th place, Kuwait defeated Puerto Rico 3-1.
"Thank you, kids, for giving it all and representing us with dignity, much work to do, but without stopping," reads a post from the Puerto Rican Football Federation.