Nigeria join USA, Brazil in exclusive FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2026 club

Nigeria will compete at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for the 12th time in 2026. That places the Falconets alongside the United States and Brazil as the only three countries to have appeared at every edition of the tournament.

The next competition will be held in Poland from September 5 to 27. Nigeria’s qualification for the event extends a record that began at the inaugural tournament in 2002, when the competition was known as the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship before adopting the U-20 name in 2006.

Nigeria have reached the quarter-finals four times, beginning in 2004 and 2006 before repeating the feat in 2008, 2018 and 2022. Their best finishes came in 2010 and 2014, when they ended the tournament as runners-up. They lost 2-0 to Germany in the 2010 final and were beaten 1-0 after extra time by the same opponents four years later.

The 2010 campaign also marked Asisat Oshoala’s emergence on the global stage. She won both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot in that tournament. Nigeria’s other recent results include a fourth-place finish in 2012, a group-stage exit in 2016 and a round-of-16 appearance in 2024.

Across their previous 11 tournaments, the Falconets have recorded 22 wins, 10 draws and 16 defeats in 48 matches, scoring 77 goals. The 2026 edition will use a 24-team format, with Nigeria placed in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia.

Nigeria come into this milestone with the senior women’s team second at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, taking six points from three matches after two wins and one defeat while scoring nine goals and conceding five. Their recent five-match sequence is three wins and two losses, including victories over Tanzania, Senegal and Cameroon.