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Spain lifted its second FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup trophy after prevailing 4-3 in a penalty shootout against North Korea following a goalless draw through 120 minutes in the final staged in Lodz. Goalkeeper Laia López delivered two crucial saves in the shootout to secure the victory for the Spanish side, which had dominated much of the contest without finding a breakthrough. The result provided revenge for a penalty defeat to the same opponent in the 2024 U-17 Women’s World Cup final, according to FIFA records. Qatar News Agency reported the crowning of the new champions at the conclusion of the tournament hosted by Poland.
Both teams entered the final undefeated, with Spain having scored 21 goals and conceded only one across the competition while North Korea maintained a clean sheet until the decisive match. The encounter remained locked in a tactical battle through regulation and extra time despite Spanish pressure, as North Korean goalkeeper Pak Ju Gyong produced several key interventions. López also stood out during the match with an important first-half save, preventing a potential goal after a defensive lapse. The shootout saw Marisa García, Celia Segura, Carla Julià and Daniela Agote convert for Spain while López denied Choe Yon-a and Pak Ok I.
FIFA statistics show Spain advanced through the tournament with a perfect group stage, including an 11-0 rout of New Caledonia and subsequent knockout wins over Portugal, Brazil and Italy. North Korea, the defending champions from the 2024 edition, matched Spain’s unbeaten run with six victories prior to the final. The 2026 tournament, which ran from September 5 to 27 across Polish venues, produced 181 goals in 52 matches for an average of 3.48 per game according to the governing body’s tallies.
Spain first claimed the U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2022 with a 3-1 win over Japan in Costa Rica, joining a list of champions that includes Germany, the United States and North Korea with three titles each prior to this edition. The latest success adds to Spain’s recent global football achievements, coming one day after the senior men’s team secured its own world title. Rosalía Domínguez earned the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player while teammate Pau Comendador took the Golden Boot for top scorer and the Bronze Ball.
The final at Stadion Miejski was refereed by Charly Straub of Brazil, with both squads featuring several standout performers from earlier rounds. López, who plays for Real Madrid, fulfilled a pre-match pledge by keeping a clean sheet through the final itself. In remarks after the game, she noted that she had kept her word about not conceding any goals throughout the decisive match.
Spain’s path featured a group-stage haul of 16 goals and one conceded before tightening defensively in the knockouts with three clean sheets. The victory caps a dominant campaign that underscored the depth of the Spanish youth setup, which supplied multiple players to senior international successes in recent years. North Korea’s run included strong defensive displays that kept opponents scoreless until the final encounter.
