Nigeria’s Falconets are set to achieve a remarkable feat at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, becoming one of only three countries to have featured in every edition of the tournament since its inception.
The Nigerian side will join Brazil and the United States as the only nations with a perfect attendance record when the 2026 tournament gets underway in Poland.
The competition is scheduled to take place from September 5 to 27, 2026, with the tournament expanding to 24 teams for the first time.
Nigeria have participated in all 11 previous editions of the competition, which was originally launched as the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2002 before being upgraded to the U-20 category in 2006.
The Falconets made their debut at the inaugural tournament in Canada in 2002 but were eliminated at the group stage.
They subsequently reached the quarter-finals in 2004 and 2006 before making further progress in later editions.
Nigeria’s best performances came in 2010 and 2014, when they finished as runners-up.
In 2010, the Falconets lost 2-0 to hosts Germany in the final, while they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to the same opponents after extra time in the 2014 final in Canada.
The 2014 campaign also marked the emergence of former Falconets star Asisat Oshoala, who won both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot after an outstanding tournament.
Nigeria finished fourth in 2012 and have since recorded quarter-final appearances in 2018 and 2022. They reached the Round of 16 in 2024, while their 2016 campaign in Papua New Guinea ended in the group stage.
Across their 11 previous appearances, the Falconets have played 48 matches, recording 22 wins, 10 draws and 16 defeats, while scoring 77 goals.
At the 2026 edition, Nigeria will compete in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia.
With their historic attendance record already secured, the Falconets will be aiming to go a step further in Poland and win Nigeria’s first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.
Vanguard News
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