Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Nigeria Falconets, have been placed in a challenging Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup scheduled to hold in Poland.
The group-stage draw was conducted on Thursday in Łódź, one of the host cities for the tournament, which will run from September 5 to 27 across four Polish venues.
The Falconets will face European powerhouse Spain, Asian giants China PR, and Oceania representatives New Caledonia in what is expected to be a highly competitive group.
Nigeria, two-time finalists in the history of the competition, booked their place at the tournament after a strong qualifying campaign and will be aiming to once again make a deep run on the global stage.
The team remains one of the most consistent performers in the competition, having regularly progressed to the knockout rounds and built a reputation as one of Africa’s strongest youth sides.
A total of 24 teams were drawn into six groups for the tournament. Matches will be played across Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Łódź and Sosnowiec.
Elsewhere, Group A features Argentina, Mexico, hosts Poland and Benin Republic, while Group B includes Brazil, England, Tanzania and Canada. Group C comprises France, Korea Republic, Ecuador and Ghana.
Group D pits the United States, Japan, Italy and New Zealand against each other, while Group E contains Korea DPR, Portugal, Costa Rica and Colombia.
The tournament is expected to showcase some of the brightest emerging talents in women’s football worldwide, with Nigeria hoping to navigate a difficult group and mount another strong challenge for honours.