Italy reach last 16 as France and Ghana win

• Italy outlasted New Zealand as Ghana downed Korea Republic

• France rallied to top Ecuador, while Japan and USA shared spoils

• Golden Boot Race | Every Player of the Match

Italy punched their ticket to the last 16 of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ for the first time thanks to a surge of late goals. Elsewhere, Ghana picked up their first points courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Korea Republic.

Later in the day, France twice rallied from a goal down to defeat Ecuador, while Japan struck late to earn a draw with USA.

Group C

Ghana 3-1 Korea Republic

Ghana goals: Sarah Nyarko (52), Ivy Osei Owusu (55), Nam Seungeun own goal (84) Korea Republic goal: Beom Yeju (90+5) Visa Player of the Match: Sarah Nyarko (Ghana)

Ghana scored twice in a devastating three-minute spell to put themselves on course for the knockout stages for the first time in their history. The Black Princesses have participated in seven previous U-20 showpieces, dating back to 2010, but have failed to escape the group stage each time. They are now in line to do so in Poland after they bounced back from an opening 3-0 defeat to Ecuador to defeat Korea Republic with a second-half blitz. Captain Sarah Nyarko gave Ghana the lead with a neat strike and, after missing a glorious earlier chance, Ivy Osei Owusu made it two with a deflected effort from the edge of the area.  Substitute Ruth Amponsah then helped seal the rout when her strike deflected into goal off Nam Seungeun. Korea Republic pulled back a late goal thanks to a long-distance effort from Beom Yeju. After drawing with France in their opener, Korea Republic have it all to do to make the Round of 16.

What they said...

"I think our group is really proud of what we put out there today. Obviously the first game was not anything close to the level that we know we're capable of showing. Today, we came out with a mission in mind, really stuck together and played as a team. We're really happy with that and excited going into that third game." Alexandra Tay, Ghana defender

"Today went great because we lost our last match so we were more prepared to win this game. It was great [to score] as it my first in the World Cup." Sarah Nyarko, Ghana captain

"I am extremely pleased. I am so happy with the [players], how they showed up. The only thing we asked of them was to show up and to show their identity and that is what they brought into the game. It is very satisfying. We had a bit of a shocker in the first game and we knew that we had to raise ourselves up so that we still have a chance of achieving our goal [of reaching the Round of 16 for the first time]." Charles Sampson, Ghana coach

"We needed all three points, so we tried to play a little more aggressively, but we fell short in attack. We have no hope of progressing if we don’t get the points we need against Ecuador in our final group-stage match, so we’ll give it everything. The players have clearly grown and improved over the first two matches, but playing against world-class players has also shown us where we still need to develop. I hope the players can continue to improve physically, as well as in their speed and decision-making." Park Younjeong, Korea Republic coach

“We were definitely lacking in speed and strength compared to the Ghana players. To overcome that, we needed to make quicker decisions and move the ball faster, but we weren’t able to do that today. Having previously only played against teams in Asia, competing at the World Cup against strong teams from different countries has made me realise that I need to improve technically, as well as in terms of speed and strength. To do that, I know I need to work even harder than I do now." Nam Seungeun, Korea Republic defender

France 3-2 Ecuador

France goals: Justine Rouquet pen (22), Aude Bizet (48), Landryna Lushimba Bilombi (87) Ecuador goals: Evelyn Burgos (10), Fiorella Pico pen (42) Visa Player of the Match: Aude Bizet (France)

Landryna Lushimba Bilombi struck three minutes from time to snatch victory for France in a topsy-turvy clash. Twice Ecuador took the lead, but twice Les Bleuettes fought back before sealing full points at the last.

The South Americans opened the scoring when a speculative cross from Evelyn Burgos bounced past a number of players and into net. France were soon awarded a penalty when Scarlet Garaicoa brought down Justine Rouquet in the area. The forward stepped up and converted the spot-kick with ease.

Shortly before half-time, a second penalty was awarded when France goalkeeper Alyssa Fernandes brought down Mary Guerra. Captain Fiorella Pico stepped up to give Ecuador the lead once again. 

France levelled the scores when Aude Bizet expertly volleyed in a Juliane Deniziot free-kick. As time was running out, Lushimba Bilombi bundled in an Ornella Graziani corner to hand Ecuador their first defeat of the campaign.

What they said...

"It feels great [to receive the Player of the Match award]. Today, I'm the one receiving it, but it's the work of the whole team that has allowed me to receive this award. I don't see it as an individual trophy. I see it as representing the whole team and all the effort we put in during this match." Aude Bizet, France captain

"We knew that if we left spaces open, we could be punished. Then, afterwards, we had no choice. We wanted to win today. A draw wasn't enough for us after the result in our first match. So we changed our attacking approach a little, and the girls responded brilliantly. There's a real desire in this group, and the team spirit was absolutely fantastic today." Philippe Joly, France coach

"It's incredible, honestly. We fought for it, they caught up with us, we came back, they caught up with us again, and we came back again... So honestly, it's beautiful. These are amazing emotions." Landryna Lushimba Bilombi, France defender

"It hurts, it hurts a lot to lose because we weren’t expecting it. We’re here to show what we’re made of, and we still have one very important match left. Our qualification is at stake, so we’re going to keep preparing for that game." Fiorella Pico, Ecuador midfielder

"As Ecuador, we competed. We had a plan for today, which was to secure qualification. We also understand that this is how these tournaments are, and we still have one more game to achieve our goal, which is to qualify for the next round." Eduardo Moscoso, Ecuador coach

Group D

Italy 3-0 New Zealand

Italy goals: Rosanna Ventriglia (78 & 83), Karen Appiah (89) Visa Player of the Match: Rosannna Ventriglia (Italy)

Substitutes Ventriglia and Appiah made the difference as Italy booked their place in the knockouts thanks to a hard-fought victory over a stubborn New Zealand side in Lodz.

The Europeans dominated the first half and almost led inside four minutes when Giada Pellegrino Cimo's low drive cannoned off the post. Giulia Galli was next to come close, firing a left-footed effort narrowly wide. The best chance of the half fell to Pellegrino Cimo who, after being slid through by Paola Fadda, only had Brooke Neary to beat, but the New Zealand stopper saved well with her feet.

Italy continued to pile on the pressure in the second half and were eventually rewarded. The defiant New Zealand defence finally failed to deal with a cross, leaving substitute Ventriglia to sweep home from 12 yards out. Fellow substitute Appiah then darted down the right and cut the ball back to Ventriglia, whose shot hit the underside of the twice, but had crossed the line in between. Appiah then had her golden moment, sending a stunning lob over Neary and into the far corner from the edge of the box to amplify the scoreline.

What they said...

"I’m really very happy, and very grateful. When it first crossed my mind, the idea was simply to make something happen, because we were in quite a critical situation. And I just did what I felt I had to do. I’d like to dedicate this to the person I was a few years ago, who was hoping to wear this jersey one day and witness this moment, so I’m very happy. My aim – and I hope the team’s too – is to bring home a really big result from this competition." Karen Appiah, Italy forward

"I’m absolutely over the moon, partly because it was my debut – my first match in this World Cup – and making my debut like this is wonderful, not just from a personal point of view, but also for the team, because it was a fairly deadlocked match and we managed to break the deadlock, score three goals, win the match and qualify, which is absolutely brilliant. I don’t think you can describe this emotions because you’re experiencing all the adrenaline and happiness right there and then. I work hard and put my heart into everything I do, and then the results come with time. I’m dedicating this brace to my family, because they’ve always been there for me. My brother’s here today too, so I’m dedicating it especially to him."  Rosanna Ventriglia, Italy forward

"We know there are no easy matches. In a competition like this, every game, in its own way, presents you some challenges. In this match, we knew we might face the challenge of coming up against a deep-lying defence that perhaps closed down the passing lanes effectively, creating density in the middle of the pitch. So we tried various ways to find a way through, and I must say that even in the first half we probably could have broken the deadlock and taken the lead. However, we must bear in mind that this too has been a great learning experience for all of us, because matches like this do happen, and the satisfaction of breaking the deadlock and seeing the game through to a clear victory is all the greater for it." Nicola Matteucci, Italy coach

"We had a plan coming into the game and I thought for the majority of it we executed that. But there's a couple of little areas where we need to be better and that's something for us as a team to learn. We struggled a little bit to execute under pressure and that's something that we've worked a lot on. It's definitely something we need to improve and improve quickly in three days' time [against] the USA to give ourselves a chance." Callum Holmes, New Zealand coach

Japan 2-2 USA

Japan goals: Natsuma Tago (74), Konoha Nakamura (83) USA goals: Ainsley McCammon (35), Alex Buck (75) Visa Player of the Match: Ainsley McCammon (USA)

USA and Japan each walked away with a share of the spoils after a thrilling draw in Lodz. It was the Americans who broke the deadlock when Kennedy Fuller’s corner was headed into the net by Ainsley McCammon.

There was a golden opportunity for USA to make it two midway through the second half, but Alex Buck couldn’t find a way past goalkeeper Uruha Iwasaki. Japan took advantage and equalised when a USA giveaway allowed Natsumi Tago to strike. Yet less than a minute later, USA were back in front, with Buck making amends for her earlier miss by outracing a defender to round Iwasaki and slot home.

The Asian side were unfazed and evened the scoreline again on a sensational effort from Konoha Nakamura, who expertly curled a shot into the top right corner.

What they said...

"I thought the players fought right until the end and never gave up. It was a very demanding and physically tough match, so earning a point is something we can certainly take as a positive. There are many areas we need to work on. However, these players have consistently shown that they can overcome different challenges, and they are developing very quickly. We will analyse today’s performance and work on those areas ahead of our next match. There are no easy matches from this point onwards. We have to approach every game as if it were a final and give everything we have. That is the only way forward." Akira Ijiri, Japan coach

(Reflecting the goal) "Mone Sato made an overlapping run, which drew the defender away and opened up space for me in the middle. I really feel that the whole team helped create that shooting opportunity. Teamwork is one of this team’s greatest strengths. We need to improve that connection even further while also allowing each player to show her individual qualities. We are determined to win the next match." Konoha Nakamura, Japan goalscorer

"I think USA is never happy with coming away without a win. But I'm really proud of the players today. The reaction after the first match was exactly what we expected. We created plenty of chances, but I think the draw is a fair result. We’ll work out what needs improving and we will go again for the third game, because this tournament is not over. We always believe, there are some great thing we can take from today." Vicky Jepson, USA coach

"It is a dream come true, I'm glad to be here and put the emotions and the passion into the field. The goal sparked an outburst of joy. I hugged my teammates because we all support each other. I think we’ve improved since the last match. We created several chances, and Japan were a very tough opponent. We believe in ourselves. There’s a lot of positive energy in our dressing room as we look ahead to the rest of the tournament." Alex Buck, USA goalscorer