The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ returns this year with a bang as 24 teams prepare to do battle in Poland from 5 to 27 September. The global showpiece, which will be Poland’s first-ever major global women’s tournament, will be contested across four host cities: Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Lodz and Sosnowiec.
Each of the 24 teams now know their group-stage opponents and subsequent pathways at the tournament, with the final set to take place on 27 September in Lodz. The hosts have been joined in Group A alongside Argentina, Benin and Mexico, while reigning champions Korea DPR have been placed in Group E with Colombia, Costa Rica and Portugal.
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Among the first-time participants are Benin, Ecuador, New Caledonia, hosts Poland, Portugal and Tanzania. Meanwhile, Korea DPR and USA will each be seeking a record fourth title.
Since the tournament’s opening edition in 2002, a plethora of the greatest players have won the title on their way to stardom. FIFA looks at ten of the superstar winners.
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Heather O’Reilly
O’Reilly started and finished her international career on top of the world. She scored four goals and made the All-Star Team of the 2002 U-20 finals as USA took home the maiden title, going on to win three Olympic golds and more than 200 caps, before being part of the Stars and Stripes squad which reclaimed the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2015.
Anja Mittag
Mittag set the tone for a stellar Germany side to win the 2004 edition in Thailand, scoring in each of the first four games as the Europeans claimed the title. Senior acclaim followed soon after at China 2007, as Mittag, Birgit Prinz and Co made it back-to-back crowns.
Melanie Behringer
Joining Mittag on each podium was long-time team-mate Behringer, who netted in the U-20 final and, much like Mittag, set Germany on their way to a title by scoring their opening goal of China 2007.
Sydney Leroux
Leroux was on a one-woman mission to the title in 2008, firing home five goals to win the adidas Golden Ball and adidas Golden Boot. She has gone on to star in the National Women’s Soccer League, as well as collect Olympic gold and a FIFA Women’s World Cup winner’s medal.
Alex Morgan
Morgan acted as Leroux’s partner in crime in Chile, joining her on both the scoresheet of the final with a superb solo strike, and the All-Star Team as she plundered four goals herself. In her senior career, she has played more than 200 times for the US, scored over 100 goals, won two World Cups and Olympic gold.
Alexandra Popp
An up-and-comer at the U-20 finals of 2010, Popp went on to star in Germany’s Olympic triumph of 2016 and become a legend of the modern-day game. Popp, the former captain of the national team, has played more than 100 times for Germany and is among their highest scorers. After winning a plethora of trophies for club side Wolfsburg, she is poised to join Borussia Dortmund.
Julie Ertz
Leadership courses through the veins of USA stalwart Ertz who first tip-toed her way on to the global stage by captaining the U-20 side to victory in 2012. Just seven years later and she was a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, starring in both defence and midfield throughout her 100-plus cap career.
Sara Dabritz
A five-goal showing at the 2014 finals saw Dabritz return to Germany with the adidas Bronze Boot and a winner’s medal in tow. That was a sign of things to come for the midfielder, who has won league titles with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon, as well as more than a century of caps for the senior side.
Hinata Miyazawa
Miyazawa picked her moment to shine at the 2018 edition to perfection, with her sole strike opening the scoring in Japan’s 3-1 final victory over Spain. The forward, indeed, couldn’t stop scoring when she travelled to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, netting five times to win the Golden Boot and earn herself a move to Manchester United.
Moeka Minami
After winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ in 2014, defender Minami joined Miyazawa in taking home the U-20 title in France, with Japan conceding just three goals throughout the tournament. She has gone on to play at the Olympics and Women’s World Cup with the Nadeshiko, as well as win back-to-back Serie A titles with Roma. Now 27, she currently plays for English club Brighton and Hove Albion.
Salma Paralluelo
History-maker Paralluelo has achieved more than most players could hope to in the game. She won the U-17 tournament in 2018, the U-20 four years later, and was the youngest member of the triumphant Spain squad which lifted the Women’s World Cup in Sydney to become the first world champion at all three levels. Most recently, the forward scored a brilliant brace as FC Barcelona won the UEFA Women’s Champions League title to qualify for the second edition of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™, which is taking place in Miami in January 2027.
