Spain make winning start as Nigeria suffer defeat at U20 Women’s World Cup

Spain began their defence of the U20 Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Nigeria on Monday, while China, North Korea and Colombia also recorded wins on the opening day in Poland.

The holders maintained their status among the leading contenders by overcoming Nigeria without conceding. The result gave Spain the ideal start to their campaign and added to a day in which several of the tournament’s expected challengers immediately underlined their ambitions.

The opening round of matches on Monday, 7 September 2026, produced a series of competitive and high-scoring encounters across the Polish venues. With the first results now recorded, the leading teams have made their intentions clear from the outset of the competition.

North Korea were among the first winners of the day, defeating Portugal 2-0 after a disciplined and well-controlled team performance. They managed the match effectively and secured a convincing result against a Portugal side that could not find a way through their organised opponents.

China produced the biggest victory of the opening schedule, defeating New Caledonia 5-0. The result reflected China’s dominance and immediately placed them at the top of their group.

New Caledonia were unable to contain China’s attacking threat, with the five-goal margin giving the winners an important early advantage. China’s performance was one of the clearest statements of intent on the first day of the tournament.

Colombia also claimed three points after beating Costa Rica 3-1. The match was decided after Colombia raised their level in the second half, allowing them to take control and secure a deserved victory.

Costa Rica stayed in the contest, but Colombia’s improvement after the interval proved decisive. Their win completed another positive opening result for one of the teams hoping to make an impact in Poland.

The day ended with Spain’s victory over Nigeria, completing a sequence of results that saw the principal favourites begin their campaigns successfully. North Korea, China, Colombia and Spain all finished the opening day with wins, while Portugal, New Caledonia, Costa Rica and Nigeria were left to look for a response in their next matches.

The first set of fixtures has therefore provided an early indication of the shape of the tournament, although the group-stage campaign remains at its beginning. For Spain, the 2-0 result was particularly significant as they seek to live up to their status as reigning champions. For Nigeria, the defeat means they must recover quickly after a difficult start to their World Cup campaign.