Nigeria’s Falconets will face Spain, China and New Caledonia in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
The draw for the tournament was held in Łódź, Poland, on Friday.
Nigeria was placed in Group F in what many have described as one of the toughest groups in the competition.
The tournament will run from 5th to the 27th of September 2026 across four Polish cities: Łódź, Katowice, Sosnowiec and Bielsko-Biała.
Twenty-four countries will compete for the title.
Spain enters the tournament as one of the favourites after years of success in women’s youth football.
China is also expected to provide a difficult test because of its strong organisation and international experience.
New Caledonia will be making its first appearance at the tournament.
Nigeria qualified for the World Cup after beating Malawi 3-2 on aggregate in the final African qualifying round.
The Falconets won the first leg 2-0 in Ikenne before losing 2-1 in Lilongwe.
Oscar Precious scored the crucial goal that secured qualification for Nigeria.
Coach Moses Aduku’s team will hope to continue Nigeria’s strong record in the competition.
The Falconets are one of the most successful teams in the history of the tournament and have qualified for every edition since it began in 2002.
Nigeria finished as runners-up in 2010 and 2014 and is still searching for its first world title at U-20 level.
The draw also renews old rivalries for Nigeria.
Spain knocked the Falconets out in the quarter-finals in 2018, while China denied Nigeria victory in their first meeting at the 2006 tournament.
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