The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026 highlighted a extra attack-minded fashion of play and enhancing technical requirements, whereas China’s quarterfinal run confirmed indicators of progress. FIFA technical specialists praised the younger crew’s tactical flexibility, defensive group and counterattacking capacity, pointing to a promising expertise pool for the way forward for Chinese ladies’s soccer.
BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup showcased improved requirements of play and inspiring progress by a number of nationwide groups, in response to the match’s Technical Study Group.
Nigeria beat Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s closing to assert its maiden U-17 Women’s World Cup title, changing into the primary African nation to raise the trophy.
The match was held in Rabat, Morocco, for the second consecutive yr after FIFA made it an annual competitors in 2025 and expanded the sphere to 24 groups.
Tihana Nemcic Bojic, a TSG member and former Croatia worldwide, recognized a extra attack-minded method as one of many match’s essential technical and tactical tendencies.
“What was the most interesting for me? It probably was one versus one situation in wide areas,” she informed Xinhua in a current video interview.
“I would highlight the courage and willingness of players to use one versus one situation, by their body positions, first touch, different technical styles and elements they are using.
“I join it with the totally different crew roles, changing into from beginning with goalkeepers who’ve intention to play alongside, going to midfields who rotate rather a lot to create for these wing positions, and the middle ahead place that additionally modifications the position. They are placing the ball sooner to the ultimate third.”
Statistics compiled by the TSG ahead of the final supported Bojic’s assessment.
The number of completed crosses increased by four percent compared with 2025, while passes from wide areas into the penalty area rose by 37 percent. Crosses were also delivered closer to the goal line, resulting in more cutbacks, while attempts on goal from crosses increased significantly.
Pascal Zuberbuhler, a former Switzerland goalkeeper and FIFA Senior Football Expert who led the TSG, said the tournament demonstrated the efforts clubs and national associations were making to develop goalkeepers in women’s football.
“They should be brave. They must see the place in possession and the place they should convey the ball. They are in a position to convey the ball there. They can ship a ball to teammates by a via go and even an overhead go. And that was nice to see on this,” he said in the interview.
According to TSG figures, goalkeepers played more aerial passes and achieved higher completion rates. The proportion of goalkeeper passes played “into” and “onto” their targets also increased.
Goalkeepers also demonstrated improvements in their use of the “X-block,” a technique in which they spread their arms and legs to block close-range shots. Both the number of successful X-blocks and the save rate increased compared with 2025, reflecting improved judgment of when and how to execute the technique.
Zuberbuhler singled out China’s goalkeeper Niu Ziqi for her long-range distribution and ability to connect with teammates.
“They are superb on this state of affairs to convey an extended ball. And she was so in a position to go it to an onto ball or perhaps a behind ball. She has a improbable lengthy kick, and he or she is aware of precisely the place to play,” he said.
Niu saved two penalties against France to help China win a shootout 4-3 following a goalless draw, sending the team into the quarterfinals for the first time at the U-17 Women’s World Cup. China thus surpassed its previous best performance of reaching the round of 16 in 2025.
Bojic, who has extensive coaching experience, said she was impressed by China’s ability to prepare for different opponents and make pragmatic adjustments to its formation and game plan.
“This might be one of many issues they’re progressed in most as a crew. And they had been very pragmatic in utilizing their good defensive block with the very good counter-attacks and delightful targets,” she said.
“I’d say the prime quality of defending strains, and likewise the three attacking gamers. The left facet participant [Wu Yichen] could be very quick. And the middle ahead [Fang Zhenzhu] is receiving balls and defending the house for others. Their video games had been very nicely tactically ready.”
Bojic also praised China’s 38-year-old coach Ma Xiaoxu, one of 20 promising female coaches enrolled in the third edition of FIFA’s 18-month Elite Performance: Coach Mentorship Programme.
“The coach is working the crew in a really open method. She is bold to attempt sure issues and to develop her gamers not solely chasing the consequence. And that is why the consequence got here for them,” she said.
“So, for me, it’s a very optimistic instance of China, and I’m very completely satisfied to see them progressing on this place.”
Bojic also highlighted the diversity of playing styles on display, saying there was no single approach or formation that guaranteed success.
“You want to make use of the enjoying fashion that’s associated to your nature, character, what you are ready and what you imagine in,” she said.
Under Ma, China topped Group E with three wins from three matches, defeating Kenya 3-0, Samoa 7-0 and the United States 3-2.
China then edged France on penalties in the round of 16 before losing 2-1 to Brazil in the quarterfinals.
A traditional powerhouse in women’s football, China finished runner-up at the 1996 Olympic Games and the 1999 Women’s World Cup. However, its standing in the women’s game has declined over the past decades, with the senior national team hovering between 15th and 20th in the FIFA rankings in recent years.
The junior team’s progress is seen as an encouraging sign for the rebuilding of the senior national team. China’s U-20 side also reached the knockout stage at this year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup.
“If I’m going a little bit bit step ahead, that’s how these gamers develop to the following step in U-20 squad after which within the senior stage. This pathway is attention-grabbing to comply with,” said Zuberbuhler.
“You see, the expertise is right here. We see it is rather clear, the expertise, the technique, the teaching flexibility. Everything is ideal and all the things appears superb.”
TSG specialists emphasized that holding the competition annually offered significant developmental benefits for young players, exposing them to different playing styles and higher levels of intensity at an early age.
“They have the chance to be within the worldwide competitors yearly, which supplies them a stimulation that they in all probability can’t have in a home competitors,” said Bojic.
“They must discover ways to behave, easy methods to win towards totally different enjoying types, gamers, behaviors, cultures, components which might be prevailing. There is not any larger faculty for gamers than this one.”