U-17 Women’s World Cup: Iwabuchi, Pina and Lopez among standout stars

The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup has become an important stage for young players who go on to make their mark at the highest level, with Mana Iwabuchi, Claudia Pina and Vicky Lopez among the players to have won the tournament’s best-player award.

The competition has repeatedly provided a platform for emerging talent, with players from Asia and Europe dominating the list of adidas Golden Ball winners.

Nine editions have been held since the tournament was introduced, and the award has been shared by players from Japan, South Korea, France, Spain and North Korea.

With another edition approaching, attention will again turn to which young players can establish themselves as the next generation of women’s football stars.

Asia has dominated the individual award

Asian players have played a particularly prominent role in the history of the U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Japan’s Mana Iwabuchi became the first winner of the adidas Golden Ball when the tournament was held in New Zealand in 2008.

Despite Japan being eliminated in the quarter-finals, Iwabuchi’s performances were enough to earn her the individual award.

She was followed in 2010 by South Korea’s Yeo Min-ji, who combined the Golden Ball with the tournament’s top-scorer award after helping her country win the title.

Yeo scored eight goals during the competition, including four in South Korea’s dramatic 6-5 quarter-final victory over Nigeria.

Mbock breaks the Asian run

France defender Griedge Mbock became the only European player to interrupt the run of Asian winners between 2008 and 2016.

Mbock won the Golden Ball at the 2012 tournament in Azerbaijan and helped France become the first European team to win the competition.

Her achievement was notable because she remains the only defender to have won the best-player award at a women’s World Cup at either youth or senior level.

Japan then returned to the top of the individual honours in 2014, when midfielder Hina Sugita was named the tournament’s best player.

Sugita scored five goals as Japan won their first U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

Japan produces another winner

Japan’s influence on the tournament continued two years later when Fuka Nagano won the Golden Ball at the 2016 edition in Jordan.

Nagano played in midfield as Japan reached the final, continuing a remarkable run of Japanese players winning the individual award.

Her success meant Japan had produced four Golden Ball winners in the first five editions of the competition.

The pattern changed in 2018 when Spain’s Claudia Pina became the latest player to receive the award.

Pina leads Spain to the title

Pina was one of the key figures in Spain’s successful campaign in Uruguay.

She scored seven goals during the tournament and produced two goals in the final as Spain defeated Mexico to claim the title.

Although she finished with the Silver Boot, her overall performances earned her the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player.

Spain produced another winner four years later when Vicky Lopez claimed the award at the 2022 tournament in India.

Lopez scored a late brace against Tanzania to help Spain reach the semi-finals and was recognised for her performances throughout the competition.

North Korea returns to the top

The most recent editions have seen North Korea regain a prominent place among the tournament’s individual winners.

Jon Il-chong was named the best player at the 2024 edition in the Dominican Republic after helping North Korea win the title.

The winger played a major role in the final against Spain, scoring the equaliser before converting her penalty in the shootout.

Yu Jong-hyang follows in 2025

North Korea’s Yu Jong-hyang then claimed the Golden Ball at the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

Yu scored eight goals as North Korea successfully defended their title and also collected three Player of the Match awards.

Her performances continued North Korea’s strong presence in the competition and added another Asian name to the list of Golden Ball winners.

The Golden Ball winners

The list of adidas Golden Ball winners highlights the variety of talent that has emerged from the U-17 Women’s World Cup:

• 2008: Mana Iwabuchi – Japan
• 2010: Yeo Min-ji – South 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 – North Korea
• 2025: Yu Jong-hyang – North Korea

The tournament’s history shows how quickly young players can move from youth football into the international spotlight.

For Iwabuchi, Pina, Lopez and the other winners, the U-17 Women’s World Cup provided an early opportunity to demonstrate their ability on a global stage.

The next edition will offer another group of young players the chance to follow in their footsteps and establish themselves among the emerging names in women’s football.