Spain’s triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ Uruguay 2018 marked the beginning of a dominant era in women’s football for the country. Four years later, in 2022, La Rojita made it two in a row, just a few months after their U-20 counterparts had lifted the global trophy for their age group. Spain’s stranglehold over world football culminated in the senior team’s win at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.

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Spain deliver once again
Spain’s fledglings certainly didn’t buckle under the pressure placed on their young shoulders at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022™. They did wobble in the group stage, though, only finishing second behind Colombia, but they successfully navigated a tricky knockout phase. First dispatching their long-standing rivals, Japan, 2-1 in the quarter-finals, before a 1-0 victory over winners Germany, claiming revenge for defeat in that year’s UEFA U-17 Women’s Championship final. In the final, they kept star player Linda Caicedo quiet in the Navi Mumbai showpiece to see out another 1-0 victory.

The feat
Three African teams – Nigeria, Morocco and Tanzania – took part in India 2022, with the latter pair making their U-17 Women’s World Cup debuts.

Having been drawn into an extremely tough group, Morocco lost 1-0 to Brazil and 4-0 to USA, but clinched their very first win in the competition by scoring three goals without reply against fellow debutantes India.

The Nigerians are tournament veterans, with the three-time quarter-finalists having only missed the 2018 edition. The Super Falcons had to navigate three successive penalty shootouts along the way, most notably a breathtaking win over Germany following a 3-3 draw in normal time, to clinch a first-ever medal for the side in the shape of bronze.

However, Tanzania undoubtedly achieved the greatest feat of all – fielding a team in a FIFA tournament for the very first time in any age category in men’s or women’s football. While they were defeated 4-0 by Japan on their competition debut, the East Africans stunned France in their second fixture, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Diana Mnally and Christer Bahera.

Tanzania didn’t stop there as they went on to hold the seasoned Canadians to a 1-1 draw to qualify for the quarter-finals. There, they faced a Caicedo-inspired Colombia, who ultimately registered a 3-0 win, but their maiden global voyage was certainly one to remember.

A tournament of future stars
Linda Caicedo was one of Colombia’s brightest stars in India, and was on her way to representing her country in a quartet of World Cups in quick succession.

In addition to gracing the final of India 2022, she also helped Las Cafeteras to the quarter-finals of the U-20 Women’s World Cup later that year and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ – as well as the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 – before rejoining the U-20 team back home for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™, where they again reached the last eight.

Caicedo also won the adidas Silver Ball and the adidas Bronze Boot at the U-17 Women’s World Cup with four goals – the same number as Momoko Tanikawa of Japan and Loreen Bender of Germany. Bender was also involved in the U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024, as was fellow India 2022 veteran Dudinha of Brazil.

Spain’s Vicky Lopez was awarded the adidas Golden Ball in India for her top performances for La Rojita, particularly playing alongside Carla Camacho. “The players we have in the Spain team are getting better and better,” said Lopez. “That’s why we’re winning big tournaments, that and the coaches’ game plans and the desire we all have to play for our country.”

She has since gone on to win the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Nations League with Spain, together with the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2023 and 2024 with Barcelona.