The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco is approaching its decisive stage, however the numbers already inform a compelling story of particular person brilliance, collective dominance and historic milestones.
With Nigeria, Brazil, Japan and defending champions DPR Korea securing their locations within the semi-finals, the event has delivered a number of outstanding records. From the extraordinary aim contributions of Brazil’s Greise Kelly to the outstanding scoring exploits of DPR Korea’s Yu Jong-hyang, the competitors has continued to showcase the depth of expertise rising in girls’s youth soccer.
For Africa, Nigeria’s progress stays a serious speaking level. The Flamingos haven’t solely reached the final 4 however have additionally performed their half in one of many event’s defining moments, defeating DPR Korea 3-1 within the group stage and ending the Asian facet’s outstanding unbeaten run on the finals.
PREMIUM TIMES takes a more in-depth take a look at the numbers and records shaping the 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Brazil’s defensive duo lead the playing-time charts with 519 minutes performed
Brazilian goalkeeper Nathy and defender Isa Rech are the one gamers to have featured for each accessible minute of the event, finishing all 519 minutes performed by their staff.
The pair lead the playing-time rankings, with six Nigerian gamers shut behind on 514 minutes every. Their figures underline the significance of consistency and sturdiness in a contest the place the calls for of progressing by the group stage and knockout rounds depart little room for relaxation.
Nigeria’s robust illustration among the many most-used gamers additionally displays the belief positioned within the core of the Flamingos squad all through their marketing campaign.
Greise Kelly’s outstanding affect on Brazil’s assault
Greise Kelly has been one in all Morocco’s excellent attacking performers, accounting for 47.06 per cent of Brazil’s 18 targets on the event.
The Brazilian ahead has scored thrice and supplied 5 assists, making her the competitors’s main help supplier. Her affect was once more evident within the quarter-finals, when she scored Brazil’s equaliser of their 2-1 comeback victory over China PR.
With eight direct aim contributions, Greise has been central to Brazil’s attacking success and can stay one of many gamers to look at as the competitors enters its remaining stage.
DPR Korea’s outstanding goalscoring output with 43 to date
DPR Korea’s status as some of the formidable forces in youth girls’s soccer is mirrored of their extraordinary scoring file.
The Asian champions have amassed 43 targets throughout the 2025 and 2026 editions of the event by six gamers: Yu Jong-hyang has scored 15, Kim Won-sim 13, Ri Ui-gyong eight, Ri Ye-rim and Ri Kyong-im three every, whereas Ri Hyo-yang has contributed one.
Their attacking manufacturing has been notably spectacular, with a number of gamers constantly discovering the online throughout successive editions.
Nigeria’s 3-1 group-stage victory over DPR Korea was due to this fact extra than simply one other necessary end result. It was an announcement efficiency towards a facet whose goalscoring pedigree has made it one of many competitors’s most feared opponents.
Nathy’s busy marketing campaign between the posts
Brazil goalkeeper Nathy has made 27 saves, the third-highest complete recorded by a goalkeeper at Morocco 2026.
Despite the quantity of labor required to maintain Brazil in rivalry, she has registered just one clear sheet, highlighting the stress her defence has confronted throughout the event.
DPR Korea’s Kim Son-gyong presents a contrasting image. The goalkeeper has made simply 5 saves however recorded three clear sheets, reflecting the defending champions’ defensive energy.
The contrasting statistics underline two completely different routes to success: Brazil have relied closely on Nathy’s intervention, whereas DPR Korea have benefited from a extra restrictive defensive construction.
Yu Jong-hyang stands alone as the event’s main scorer with 15 targets
DPR Korea’s Yu Jong-hyang has established herself as probably the most prolific goalscorer within the historical past of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Her 15 targets throughout the 2025 and 2026 editions have taken her past each different participant within the competitors’s historical past. She scored eight instances to assist DPR Korea elevate the trophy final yr and has added seven extra targets throughout their marketing campaign in Morocco to date.
Her means to ship throughout consecutive tournaments has made her one of many defining gamers of this era, and her newest achievement additional strengthens DPR Korea’s place among the many competitors’s most profitable nations.
Japan’s Shirai closing in on a training file
Japan head coach Sadayoshi Shirai is approaching a historic milestone, having managed 14 matches on the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Shirai beforehand led Japan on the 2024 and 2025 editions and is now making ready for one more semi-final look towards DPR Korea.
That match will take him degree with Kenneth Zseremeta’s event file of 15 appearances as a head coach. He will then have the chance to say the file outright in both the ultimate or the third-place match.
Brazil coach Rilany can also be closing in on the milestone. Having guided her facet to the semi-finals in 2025 and once more in Morocco, she has managed 12 matches and can attain 14 throughout the present version.
The semi-finalists boast a formidable historical past at this stage
The 4 remaining nations have collectively made 11 appearances within the semi-finals of the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
DPR Korea paved the way with six appearances, underlining their sustained dominance within the competitors. Japan have reached the final 4 thrice, whereas Brazil and Nigeria have one semi-final look every earlier than the present version.
Brazil’s earlier look led to a 2-0 defeat to DPR Korea in final yr’s event, whereas Nigeria’s newest qualification represents one other alternative to construct on their historical past at this degree.
For the Flamingos, reaching the semi-finals is especially important as they search so as to add one other main achievement to Nigeria’s file in youth girls’s soccer.
Brazil’s attacking risk comes from throughout the squad
Brazil’s goalscoring duty has been extensively distributed at Morocco 2026, with 9 completely different gamers discovering the online.
Greise Kelly leads the staff’s scoring chart with three targets, whereas Helena, Marcela Bontorim, Nicolly Manuel and Pepe have scored twice every.
Carol Melo, Indy, Kaillany Ranifah and Sofia Gamonal have additionally contributed one aim apiece.
The unfold of targets highlights the depth of Brazil’s attacking choices and makes the Seleção troublesome to include, with threats rising from completely different areas of the pitch.
A well-known semi-final sample continues
For the fifth consecutive version of the U-17 Women’s World Cup, two groups from the identical group have progressed to the semi-finals.
Nigeria and DPR Korea are the most recent pair to take action, each advancing from Group B regardless of their assembly ending in a 3-1 victory for the Flamingos.
That end result was particularly important as a result of it handed DPR Korea their first defeat on the finals in eight years.
Although the 2 sides took completely different paths to the final 4, their qualification as soon as once more reveals Group B’s competitiveness and the standard of the groups that emerged.
Ryu Mi-hong and Ayomide Rotimi attain a 3rd event
Two gamers within the remaining squads are experiencing their third U-17 Women’s World Cup, having featured within the 2024 and 2025 editions as nicely.
DPR Korea goalkeeper Ryu Mi-hong has been a part of the squad that gained the earlier two tournaments however has but to seem in Morocco.
Nigeria’s Ayomide Rotimi has additionally remained an unused substitute on the present version, having made 5 appearances throughout the 2024 and 2025 tournaments.
Their presence displays the continuity inside each soccer programmes, though their involvement in Morocco has been restricted to squad roles moderately than time on the pitch.
Japan’s defensive file stands out
Japan have conceded simply as soon as of their journey to the semi-finals, making them the event’s most troublesome facet to breach.
Kenya’s Brenda Achieng stays the one participant to have scored towards them, discovering the online throughout their round-of-16 assembly.
The achievement locations Japan alongside their very own historical past on the 2014 version in Costa Rica, after they reached the semi-finals having conceded fewer targets than another staff at that stage.
READ ALSO: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nigeria’s Flamingos, Ghana, Morocco, Kenya lead Africa’s Quarter-Final charge
Japan went on to defeat Venezuela 4-1 within the semi-finals earlier than beating Spain 2-0 within the remaining to elevate the trophy.
Their present defensive resilience suggests they’ve the muse to problem for one more title.
Europe faces an unprecedented semi-final absence
For the primary time within the historical past of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, no European nation will function within the semi-finals.
The remaining 4 in Morocco consist totally of groups from Africa, Asia and South America: Nigeria, DPR Korea, Japan and Brazil.
It is a major growth for a contest that has historically featured robust European illustration in its decisive rounds.
Nigeria’s presence is especially necessary from an African perspective. The Flamingos have carried the continent’s hopes into the ultimate 4 and can now have one other alternative to show the progress of African girls’s youth footballl on the worldwide stage.
With the semi-finals approaching, the numbers level to a contest dominated by acquainted powerhouses, rising stars and historic achievements. But for Nigeria, an important statistic continues to be the chance forward: yet one more victory would take the Flamingos into the ultimate and convey them nearer to a different landmark second of their World Cup historical past.
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