Azerbaijan minifootball star confident ahead of quarterfinal clash with England

Azerbaijani national minifootball team player Khatai Baghirov has voiced strong confidence ahead of their highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup against England in the ongoing WMF World Cup hosted in Baku.

In a statement to Report, Baghirov expressed unwavering belief in his team’s ability to reach the next stage:

“Our only goal is victory. We’ve prepared well and made it to the quarterfinals. The team is in peak form. Our belief is unshakable, and I’m confident we’ll advance. There’s no turning back. With this incredible support from our fans, I truly believe we’ll defeat England.”

Baghirov acknowledged the physical strength of their English opponents but emphasized Azerbaijan's tactical readiness:

“The Azerbaijani team is very well-organized tactically. Teams that play us that way are often relaxed. But England is different — they’re physically strong, relentless, constantly in motion. It’s not easy to play against such a team. Still, we’ll try to match them physically and keep them off the ball. Our coach gave us clear instructions in training yesterday, and we’ve analyzed our opponents in detail.”

He also reflected on the broader tournament picture, admitting surprise that Romania barely made it out of their group:

“Other than Romania, we had predicted who we might face next, and so far, things have played out as expected. We didn't think Romania would finish second in their group, but we’ve studied all our possible opponents thoroughly.”

When asked about their main rival for the title, Baghirov pointed to Serbia:

“If I had to name one main rival for Azerbaijan at this World Cup, it would be Serbia. They are strong, experienced, and high-quality."

The England vs. Azerbaijan quarterfinal is scheduled to kick off tonight at 20:30 at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.