Nigeria’s Falconets have been drawn in a challenging Group F alongside Spain, China and tournament debutants New Caledonia for the 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
The draw for the 12th edition of the competition was conducted on Thursday in Łódź, Poland, ahead of the tournament scheduled to take place from September 5 to 27.
Seven-time African champions Nigeria are expected to face their toughest test against Spain, winners of the 2022 edition in Costa Rica. The Europeans are regarded as one of the favourites for the title again, having built a reputation for their technical quality and possession-based football at youth level.
China will also provide stiff opposition in the group, with the Asian side boasting a strong pedigree in women’s football and regular appearances at the tournament, while New Caledonia will be making their maiden appearance at the global competition.
The Falconets booked their place at the World Cup after overcoming Malawi in a tense qualifying tie. Nigeria secured a 2-0 advantage in the first leg but were made to fight for qualification in the reverse fixture after Malawi’s Chinzimu scored twice to level the tie on aggregate before the Nigerians held on to progress.
Nigeria remain one of the most consistent teams in the history of the competition, having qualified for every edition since its inception in 2002. Alongside the United States and Brazil, the Falconets are the only teams to achieve that feat.
The West Africans came closest to winning the title in 2010 and 2014, finishing runners-up on both occasions.
