Women’s U17 World Cup: Iwabuchi, Pina and Lopez among standout talents

The FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup has established itself as a platform for the emergence of leading figures in women’s football, with several internationally recognised players having featured in the competition. The 2026 edition is expected to provide another opportunity for new talent to emerge.

Asian nations have played a particularly prominent role since the tournament was created. Of the nine editions staged so far, six of the players recognised as the competition’s best have come from an AFC member association.

Japan has produced three of those players, while Spain has supplied two. Griedge Mbock of France completes the list.

The winners and leading players from each edition are:

– 2008: Mana Iwabuchi (Japan) – 2010: Yeo Min-ji (Republic of Korea) – 2012: Griedge Mbock (France) – 2014: Hina Sugita (Japan) – 2016: Fuka Nagano (Japan) – 2018: Claudia Pina (Spain) – 2022: Vicky Lopez (Spain) – 2024: Jon Il-chong (DPR Korea) – 2025: Yu Jong-hyang (DPR Korea)

The record underlines the strength of the women’s game across Asia, with Japan, Republic of Korea and DPR Korea all represented among the tournament’s most highly regarded players.

Spain is the only non-Asian nation to have produced more than one player on the list, through Claudia Pina in 2018 and Vicky Lopez in 2022. France’s Griedge Mbock was the only player representing a country outside the AFC and Spain before the latest editions added two more names from DPR Korea.