Favorites, Group Of Death & More

The stage is set for the eighth edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2024, which will be the last edition of the tournament in its current format. Starting next year, the tournament will expand to 24 teams and switch from a biennial to an annual format.

This edition of the tournament will also be very special for the host country, the Dominican Republic. It is the first FIFA tournament they are hosting and their debut at a FIFA Women’s World Cup for all ages. The 16 participants will include top players from various confederations, including Brazil, Japan, Nigeria, Spain and the United States Under-17 Women’s National Team (USWNT).

The format of the competition sees teams initially split into four groups of four, with the top two from each group moving on to the knockout stages, which begin with the quarter-finals. The draw for the group stage took place today and already promises us some very interesting matches before the tournament begins in mid-October.

Group A

Traditionally, the hosts were the first team to be drawn. Dominican Republic make their tournament debut on home soil. Their only previous major international experience at this level came at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship, which they also hosted, when they lost 10-0 to Mexico in the quarterfinals, so their realistic aim must be to deliver three competitive performances.

Fellow debutants Ecuador will join them after qualifying with an impressive third place at this year’s South American U17 Women’s Championship, but the favourites to advance to the knockout stages are New Zealand And Nigeriawho are participating in the U-17 World Cup for the 7th or 8th time.

Group B

Two-time defending champion Spain were drawn into Group B, which turned out to be something of a group of death. Their U17 team won the European Championship earlier this year in dominant fashion, winning all five of their matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding one, making them clear favourites to win the World Cup at this level for the third time in a row.

Soon the U-17 joined US Women’s National Teamwho, surprisingly, have never won a World Cup at this level and, despite their dominance in CONCACAF and at senior level, have only reached the final once. In fact, they have only reached the knockout stages once since the first edition of the World Cup and that record is unlikely to improve in such a difficult group.

South Korea are the third team in the group, so at least one giant will be eliminated early. They look to be the weakest of the three teams, having qualified for the Asian Cup as only third-placed, so the 2010 champions will have to step up to make this a real fight.

Colombia They can’t be written off either, having finished second in this year’s South American U17 Women’s Championship and reaching the final at the last World Cup, they definitely have the potential to cause problems for teams like Spain and the USWNT.

Group C

North Korea won the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup in May, their third continental title in the last four editions of the tournament, but they will be taking part in a World Cup at this level for the first time since 2018, having withdrawn from the previous edition in India.

MexicoThe last time they made it to a World Cup knockout stage at this level was in 2018. The team, which finished second at the last CONCACAF Women’s U17 Championship, will be hoping to change that, although they face a tough test in this group.

Kenya will certainly have a very tough time ahead of them in their U17 World Cup debut, as the last team in this group are EnglandThis is only the third World Championship appearance for the Young Lionesses, but they are confident of progressing after reaching the final of the European Championships earlier this year.

Group D

Japan were the first team to be drawn into Group D, where they hope to continue their record of reaching the knockout stages at every World Cup. Debutants Poland may not be too much of a challenge for them, but the two consecutive winners of the South American U17 Women’s Championship Brazil certainly and ZambiaThe talent of could also cause some problems.