Sport
Nepal’s school football players are preparing to represent the country at the ISF Football World Cup in Suzhou, China, with competition due to begin on October 18, 2026. OnlineKhabar reported on October 15 that a 29 member delegation, including 20 players, was scheduled to leave for China on Friday, October 16. The organiser lists October 17 to 26 as the overall event period. Those dates include arrival and other activities and should not be mistaken for a verified Nepal match schedule.
The Nepali report says the players were selected through a process involving 372 participants. The pool was reduced first to 40 and then to the final 20, according to delegation leader Raj Kumar Karki. Thaman Bhusal and Santosh Neupane are named as coaches. The squad was given a farewell by National Sports Council representatives before its planned departure. This establishes the delegation’s preparation and selection, not confirmation that it has already arrived in Suzhou or played a match.
The ISF event page places the competition in its U18 category and lists eligible birth years from 2008 to 2011. Its rules require participants to be students enrolled in schools providing general education, or vocational education that includes general education. Only students on the accredited team list may compete. This is therefore a school sport event with its own educational eligibility requirements, rather than a senior national team tournament. The organiser offers boys and girls categories, while Nepal’s entry appears as one boys team in the registration overview.
Bulletin 2 helps explain the calendar. It provides for delegation arrivals on October 16 or 17, and its provisional programme places the opening ceremony and opening match on October 18. ISF’s draw video description also says competition kicks off on October 18. The bulletin warns that programme details can change and refers delegations to the event handbook for revisions. No Nepal opponent or match hour is asserted here because those details have not been independently verified from the final draw and fixture list.
The tournament’s background also distinguishes its identity. ISF says its football competitions grew out of the World School Championships, first held in 1972 and staged 27 times through 2023. The Football World Cup format was launched as a new flagship initiative in 2022, with China awarded the 2024, 2026 and 2028 editions. The organiser describes a balance between sport and education, including fair play, healthy lifestyles, respect and inclusion. That history explains why the event combines competitive matches with activities beyond the pitch.
The official bulletin sets out educational workshops covering safeguarding, online abuse and digital literacy, athlete protection, and strength and conditioning for young footballers. It also describes a Nations Night where delegations can present their cultures. As sporting analysis, those elements make the trip an opportunity for international learning as well as results. They do not establish any competitive advantage or guarantee how far Nepal will progress, but they clarify the experience the organisers intend for participating students.
For supporters in Nepal, the immediate focus is the planned October 16 departure and the start of competition on October 18. Any later fixture card should use the organiser’s confirmed opponent, venue and local kickoff, then convert the time accurately: China is two hours and 15 minutes ahead of Nepal. Until that information is verified, the sound update is support for the selected school squad and a clear distinction between the event’s arrival date and its first day of football.
Source publication date: 2026-10-15. Event or reporting period: 2026-10-17 to 2026-10-26 event period; competition begins 2026-10-18.
Sources:OnlineKhabar, October 15, 2026 at 7:35 pm NPT, delegation and selection report · International School Sport Federation, official event page and background · ISF Bulletin 2, September 2026, provisional programme and registration · ISF draw video description, competition begins October 18
Source: GPT News Feed
