Canada have been one of the most impressive teams at the U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™. After struggling in the first half of their opening game against Nigeria, they picked up the pace and have not stopped rolling, beating out France for first place in Group D and leaving Zambia no chance in a 6-0 triumph in the round of 16.
After their notable absence last year in the Dominican Republic, the first time they failed to qualify for the U-17 Women’s World Cup, the young Canucks are back stronger than ever.
“We want to make it all the way,” co-captain Chloe Taylor told FIFA confidently after reaching the last eight. “We want to be champions of the world.”
Few teams have showcased as clearly as the Canadians what it means to be a team in Morocco, with coach Jen Herst rotating heavily throughout the group stage and making sure all her players see significant minutes throughout this World Cup. “Every single player here is here for a reason and they get the opportunity to show that, to showcase themselves,” Herst explained. “It just shows what a strong collective we are.”
In an exclusive interview ahead of Canada’s quarter-final against Brazil, Taylor gushed: “I love being next to my best friends all the time and that’s the reality, especially with this team. I’m with my closest friends for a month and we get to try and achieve something great, and I think we’ve put ourselves in a great position to do so.”
“I think the connections we’ve formed off the field have really helped us to get where we are,” said the other co-captain, midfielder Olivia Chisholm, when she sat down to speak to FIFA.
“Being captain in this tournament alongside Chloe is definitely a big role, but I think we’ve both come to terms with it in a really positive way,” said Chisholm. “But it’s not just having the armband on that makes you the leader. I think everyone else on the team is also leading, so it’s not just us and I think that’s what makes it so good.”
“I’m not much of a hype woman, I think I’m more calm, composed, that’s the way I lead,” said Taylor. “I think we have so many different leaders on this team, that’s why we thrive all together.”
“We always have each other’s backs,” Chisholm added. “If we make a mistake, we know that the person behind us is going to back us up and I think that’s how we’ve gotten so far. We don’t judge each other and we’re honestly just working together as a team.”
It’s been paying off: With 18 goals scored so far in Morocco, Canada are the most prolific team of the tournament, and also boast one of the best defensive records, conceding only twice en route to the quarter-finals. Three players are on three goals already – Julia Amireh, Daniela Feria-Estrada and Melisa Kekic – and Chisholm and Taylor are among the seven having scored once so far, with the co-captains bagging Player of the Match awards, too.
“It’s such an honour to be able to be a part of this team and this experience,” said Taylor. “I just want to keep improving because these camps, these tournaments are so much fun and just such great experiences, not just on the field but off the field.”
“It’s definitely been a long time,” Chisholm said about her experience in Morocco. “The team tries to do a lot of activities to bond off the field because that’s definitely going to help on the field. We have a bunch of card games, we’ve gone on walks, we went to the markets, which was really nice. We try to stay as close as we can because we know that’s what’s going to get us far in the tournament.”
Against Brazil, Canada will be counting on another great performance from not just Chisholm and Taylor and the rest of the starting line-up, but also everyone from off the bench. “Brazil are a very good team, they have very technical players so I think the biggest thing for us is to be consistent,” said Chisholm. “If we bring our consistency to the game, I think we have a really good shot at moving on.”
“It’s going to be a great game,” Taylor promised. “We’re focused on us and how we can improve. We will make minor changes from the last couple of games and I think we’re ready to build, come out strong, and ready to move on to the semis.”
