BAKU - More than 1,100 of the world’s best wrestlers under 17 will compete in Baku at the end of July.
 Records are usually made at the U-17 World Championships. In Baku, one has been broken before the opening bout.
The tournament will have 675 wrestlers, the most-ever for a U-17 World Wrestling Championships -- 242 Greco-Roman, 242 in Freestyle and 191 in Women’s Wrestling, breaking the record of the 2017 edition in which 186 women participated.
From July 27 to August 2, the U-17 World Championships will be live on UWW+.  
The competition is also set to return to Baku after 14 years and as it always does, it will be dramatic.
For instance, last year, the United States and Iran were locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team title. The former edged Iran in a dramatic final-day comeback, and the rivalry is expected to continue in Baku. Russia, which was not allotted team points last year, will be back in the race and with a strong team.
Russia will have most of its U-17 national champions including Aldar BADMAEV (RUS), the first-ever national gold medal from Kalmykia, at 45kg. Five wrestlers hail from Dagestan and the team also includes four U-17 European champions from 2026.
The U.S. will be led by returning silver medalist Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) at 65kg. In 2025, Kikiniou became the first wrestler in history to win a medal in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman since it was restarted in 2011, and he will attempt to repeat in Baku as well, perhaps with a gold medal.
Iran has four U-17 Asian champions in its squad but to challenge for the team title, it will need its wrestlers to step up and not tank like they did in Athens last year, when the country did not win a single gold medal.
Hosts Azerbaijan, which had an exceptional U-17 European Championships with seven medals including three golds, will hope to repeat the performance at home and stand among the top teams.
Here’s a breakdown of 10 Freestyle weight classes:
45kg: Since this weight class was introduced in 2018, the U.S. and Iran have won all the golds. The former has won five golds while two have gone to Iran, one being Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) in 2018.
This year will be no different as Iran bring U-17 Asian champion Mahdi DAMERCHELI (IRI) and the U.S. is going with U-17 Pan-Am champ Rylen WAX (USA). Badmaev from Russia will have his first taste of international wrestling. U-17 European champion Marko KVASNIUK (UKR) is also in the entries.
48kg: The best chance for hosts Azerbaijan will be Huseyn RZAZADE (AZE), the U-17 European champion. He will likely have a rematch with Volodymyr BOIKO (UKR) from the final in Samakov, Bulgaria.
Both finalists from U-17 Asia are also in the fray with the champion Farrukh MAKHMUDOV (UZB) hoping to add a world title to his name. Iran has silver medalist Amirali RAGHEB (IRI). But expect a tough challenge from Kirill KONDRASHOV (RUS) who won the U-15 Europeans in 2025.
51kg: Ibrahim HASANOV (AZE), the U-17 European champion, has the home crowd behind him as he tries to add a world title to his name. But in his part will be U-17 Asian champion Benyamin ASHOFTEH (IRI), silver medalist Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) and Pan-Am champion Evan RESTIVO (USA).
Russia is going with Islam KURAKHMAEV (RUS), a rising prospect from Dagestan.
55kg: Can Chase KARENBAUER (USA), who made the team after beating Keegan BASSETT (USA), match the likes of wrestlers from Asia and Europe? He will be up against Arman ELAHI (IRI) won gold at the U-17 Asian Championships, silver medalist Kyosuke IKEDA (JPN) and bronze Temirlan MURAT (KAZ), getting a chance to wrestle various styles.
Mustafa BERSANUKAEV (RUS) will make his U-17 debut after making the team by winning the national championships. European bronze medalist Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO) is also in the mix along with Jakhongir TULKUNOV (UZB) who gave Elahi the toughest match in Da Nang.
60kg: The only weight class in which the defending champion is returning - SITENDER (IND). He won the gold medal in Athens but had close matches with wrestlers from Iran and Japan. To defend his title, Sitender will have to go through U-17 European champion Sergei KARMRIAN (RUS), silver Mykyta KUZMENKO (UKR) and even U-17 Asian champion Bekzodbek IBROHIMOV (UZB).
Among one of the toughest weight categories, the 60kg also includes U-17 Asian silver Mardan ORYNBASSAR (KAZ), bronze medalists from Europe and Asia. Joseph BURKE (USA) will also be a tough bet.
65kg: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) created history in Athens by winning medals in both styles. Now, he would like to repeat with at least one gold medal. He finished with a silver medal in Athens in Freestyle. Unless a huge upset, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to stop the American.
Sam ARSHADGH (IRI) will throw a challenge from Iran but while Jovani SOLIS (PUR) is the U-17 Pan-Am champion but Kikiniou did not participate in the tournament. Russia will be represented by Magomed IBRAGIMOV (RUS), who finished 10th last year.
71kg: In a very open weight class, U-17 Asian champion Adilet RYSBAY (KAZ) and U1-7 European champion Nikolay ILIEV (BUL), both will fancy their chances to win gold. Iran has Reza SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) who will also be in the race to win along with Mokhmad BAISULTANOV (RUS).
Camryn HOWARD (USA) will be representing the challenge from the U.S.
80kg: Hosts Azerbaijan will hope that U-17 European champion Nihad SULEYMANLI (AZE) can give it a home world gold and also improve on his 13th place finish from last year. The route, however, may be a tough one. Amirali FERASATI (IRI), the U-17 Asian champion, dominated his way to gold in Da Nang and is expected to have good result in Baku.
The weight class also has returning bronze medalist from 71kg Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK) and Arshavir DARAKHSHANIFARA (FIN), who won U-17 European bronze and will now try to give Finland its first Freestyle medal at the U-17 Worlds.
The U.S. challenge comes from Jayden OFARRILL (USA), while U-17 European bronze medalist Rati REVAZASHVILI (GEO) will be at his third U-17 Worlds, hoping for his first medal and Kantemir ELMESOV (RUS) will also be in the mix.
92kg: U-17 European champion Abdurazak SHABANOV (RUS) is a favorite to win gold in the weight class. However, Ali DADAEV (FRA), silver to him, will try to avenge the loss from Bulgaria.
Iran, among the best as the weights get heavier, will be represented by Reza ISAZADEH (IRI), with U-17 European bronze Nuradin MUSTAFAEV (GEO), U-17 Pan-Am champion Salah TSARNI (USA) and U-17 Asia silver Amirbek FAZLITDINOV (UZB) also entered.
110kg: Returning bronze medalist Hakim TAGHIYEV (AZE) will try to improve his medal but will have to be wary of U-17 European champion Murtaz BAGDAVADZE (GEO) and silver medalist Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), both lost the bronze-medal bouts in Athens.
Arush RANA (IND), U-17 Asian champion, and silver medalist Amirhossein ESMALI (IRI) will also be top prospects. Magomed OMAROV (RUS) and Peter MOCCO (USA) can make the run as well.