Flamingos Ready as Morocco Welcomes 24 Nations for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup

Still basking in the euphoria of winning the 2026 West Africa Football Union (WAFU-B) U-17 Girls Cup by defeating Togo 4-0 in the final on September 27, 2026, in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria’s Flamingos are getting set to depart the country for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup holding in Morocco from October 17 to November 7.

It will be the second consecutive year the North African country is hosting the global women’s youth football tournament with the 2026 edition bringing together 24 national teams to Morocco.

The Nigerian U-17 women’s national team finished the regional tournament in Côte d’Ivoire with a perfect record, winning all five of their matches. They scored 17 goals and conceded only 2 throughout the competition.

However, Morocco is preparing to host a hitch-free competition just as this year’s tournament will be the second edition played under FIFA’s expanded format, which increased the field from 16 to 24 teams and moved the competition to an annual schedule from 2025.

Morocco was selected in 2024 to host five consecutive editions of the tournament from 2025 through 2029, giving the country an extended role in the development of women’s youth football on the global stage.

The participating nations represent all six continental confederations, with Morocco joined by Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China PR, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Korea DPR, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Spain, the United States, Venezuela and Zambia.

Morocco will open its campaign against New Zealand on October 17 in Group A, which also includes Germany and Argentina.

The reigning champions, Korea DPR, will begin their title defense against Puerto Rico in Group B. The Asian side won the 2025 edition after defeating the Netherlands in the final to claim a record third title.

The entire competition will be staged in Rabat, with the Women’s Football Complex hosting the group stage, Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

The Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat will then host the bronze medal match and final, providing the tournament with a dedicated venue for its closing stages.

The competition offers another opportunity for Morocco to showcase its growing women’s football infrastructure while giving some of the game’s emerging talents a global platform.

With the tournament now less than three weeks away, attention will turn to the host nation’s opening match and its bid to make an impact on home soil.