Azerbaijan defeated sierra leone in the FIFA Series-2026 final on 30 March 2026. The final was held at the Sumgayit city stadium named after Mehdi Huseynzade, with a pre-match schedule listing kickoff at 4: 00 p. m. ET and the match record listing a 7: 00 p. m. ET start. The hosts equalized in the second half and the title was decided by a penalty shootout that ended 9-8 in favor of Azerbaijan.
Key moments and final score
The decisive match saw sierra leone open the scoring before the Azerbaijani side drew level in the second half. Play reached the penalties after the deadlock persisted through regulation time. The shootout was extended and ultimately finished 9-8, handing the Azerbaijani national team the FIFA Series-2026 trophy and closing the tournament with a narrow victory on penalties.
The venue named after Mehdi Huseynzade hosted the final on 30 March 2026; administrative listings show a 4: 00 p. m. ET kickoff on the match schedule while the event account records a 7: 00 p. m. ET start. Match organizers and the event roster list those times in the event documentation for the day.
Sierra Leone’s role in the final
sierra leone scored first in the final, taking an early advantage that put pressure on the hosts. The visiting side’s opening goal changed the match narrative and forced the Azerbaijani team to chase the game. The equalizer by the hosts shifted momentum and sent the contest to penalties, where sierra leone remained competitive until the shootout concluded 9-8.
Aykhan Abbasov is named as the leader of the Azerbaijani national team in the match account; the team led by Aykhan Abbasov closed the tournament with the title after the penalty decider. The match summary identifies the shootout score and the sequence—guest goal, host equalizer, then the deciding penalties—as the path to the final result.
Immediate reactions
Match records list Aykhan Abbasov as the leader of the Azerbaijani side that lifted the FIFA Series-2026 trophy following the 9-8 shootout. The event documentation highlights the dramatic arc: an early goal for sierra leone, an equalizer from the hosts in the second half, and a lengthy penalty sequence to decide the winner. Team and event listings on the day reflect the tight nature of the final.
Officials working the event logged the match at the Sumgayit city stadium named after Mehdi Huseynzade and recorded the penalty outcome that gave Azerbaijan the title. Those official entries present the match chronology and the final shootout score as the decisive facts of the day.
What’s next
With the FIFA Series-2026 title decided by penalties, attention will turn to post-tournament summaries and any official releases from the teams and event organizers in the coming days. Records show sierra leone left the final with an opening goal and a close penalty defeat; follow-up notes and formal statements are expected to clarify lineups, substitutions and official timings. The match documentation lists 4: 00 p. m. ET and 7: 00 p. m. ET as kickoff times in different entries for 30 March 2026, and further official clarification may reconcile those listings for the record.
