Nigeria’s U-20 National Team, Falconets Drawn Against Spain, China, PR and New Caledonia in Poland 2026

Oru Leonard 

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have been drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR, and New Caledonia for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

The official draw ceremony took place on Friday at the EC1 Cultural Centre in Łódź, Poland, with women’s football legends, FIFA officials, and dignitaries from the host nation in attendance. Fans across the world also followed the event live on FIFA digital platforms.
The tournament is scheduled to be held from Sept. 5 to Sept. 27, 2026, across four Polish cities — Łódź, Katowice, Sosnowie, and Bielsko-Biała — with 24 teams competing for honours in FIFA’s flagship women’s youth competition.

The full draw for the tournament is as follows:
Group A: Poland, Argentina, Mexico, Benin Republic
Group B: Brazil, Tanzania, Canada, England
Group C: France, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Ghana
Group D: Japan, New Zealand, USA, Italy
Group E: Korea DPR, Portugal, Costa Rica, Colombia
Group F: Spain, Nigeria, New Caledonia, China PR
According to FIFA, the participating teams were seeded into four pots based on rankings ahead of the draw.

Africa will be represented at the competition by Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzani, and Benin Republic.
The Falconets face a challenging group, with Spain regarded as one of the favourites following their recent successes in women’s football and strong youth development programme. China PR are also expected to provide stiff opposition with their vast international experience, while New Caledonia will be making their debut appearance at the tournament.

Nigeria’s Falconets are two-time runners-up in the history of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and will be aiming to improve on their Round of 16 finish at the 2024 edition.

The Falconets secured qualifications for the Poland 2026 tournament after defeating Malawi 3-2 on aggregate during the African qualifiers. Nigeria won the first leg 2-0 in Ikenne before losing 2-1 in the reverse fixture in Lilongwe, a result that was enough to seal qualification.

The 2026 edition of the tournament will also feature six debutants — Poland, Portugal, New Caledonia, Ecuador, Tanzani, and Benin Republic.

Meanwhile, Germany, runners-up to Nigeria in the 2010 and 2014 finals, will miss the competition for the first time in the tournament’s history.

(NSC Media)