Four countries have secured places in the semi-final stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after a dramatic quarter-final round.
Colombia, DPR Korea, Spain and Italy advanced to the last four, with the semi-final fixtures scheduled to take place in Łódź on Wednesday. The tournament is being hosted across four Polish cities and features 24 teams.
Colombia booked their place after defeating Nigeria’s Falconets 1-0 in a closely contested quarter-final. Valerin Loboa scored the decisive goal in the second minute of stoppage time after Nigeria had been reduced to 10 players following Kafiyat Masifere’s dismissal.
DPR Korea also needed late goals to overcome Canada, winning 2-0. Choe Rim-jong broke the deadlock in the 92nd minute before Ho Kyong added a second four minutes later to secure the defending champions’ semi-final berth.
Spain advanced after defeating Brazil, while Italy secured their first-ever appearance in the semi-final stage of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The two sides will meet in the first semi-final in Łódź.
The other semi-final will see DPR Korea face Colombia. DPR Korea have been particularly impressive defensively, reaching the last four without conceding a goal and scoring 13 times in five matches.
The semi-final line-up is significant for Italy, who have never previously reached the final four of the competition. Spain, meanwhile, have reached the semi-finals for the third time in the last four editions and won their previous two last-four matches.
For Nigeria, the quarter-final exit ended the Falconets’ campaign despite a competitive performance against Colombia. Coach Moses Aduku said the tournament had provided valuable exposure for the young players and expressed optimism about their future.
The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is the 12th edition of the tournament. The competition began on September 5 and will conclude with the final in Łódź on September 27.
