African teams land tough opponents in FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup draw

Hosts Morocco will play in Group A alongside powerhouse Brazil, Costa Rica and Italy in the 1st ever expanded 24-team FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup set for late this year.

The draw for the ninth edition was conducted on Wednesday night at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Rabat, Morocco, with defending champions Korea DPR placed in Group B with Cameroon, Mexico and the Netherlands.

Morocco 2025 will be the first edition of the expanded tournament to feature 24 nations, with all matches taking place in the nation’s capital.

It is also the first edition of the global showpiece to be held in Africa.

Group A: Brazil, Costa Rica, Italy, Morocco.

Group B: Cameroon, Korea DPR, Mexico, Netherlands.

Group C: China PR, Ecuador, Norway, USA.

Group D: Canada, France, Nigeria, and Samoa.

Group E: Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Korea Republic, Spain.

Group F: Japan, New Zealand, Paraguay, Zambia.

The top two teams from each of the six groups will advance to the Round of 16, as well as the four best third-placed teams.

All matches will be held in four venues in the Administration City of Rabat between 17th October and 8th November 2025.

Meanwhile, a revamped brand for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup has been unveiled for the next five editions.