The United States delivered a remarkable performance on Matchday 1 of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, thrashing Samoa 17-0, while Spain and China also began their campaigns with victories. Australia and Chile, meanwhile, shared the points after an entertaining 1-1 draw.
Spain secured a 2-0 victory over Mexico to make a positive start in Group E, while China defeated Kenya 3-0 to collect all three points. In Group F, Australia and Chile played out a closely contested encounter, with neither side able to find a winning goal.
However, the biggest talking point was the United States’ extraordinary 17-goal performance against Samoa. The result represented a powerful statement of intent as the tournament continued, with the Americans immediately drawing attention through their attacking display.
China’s convincing win also put them in a strong position early in the group stage, while Spain will look to build on their opening success. Australia and Chile will take encouragement from earning a point each, although both teams will know that victories in their upcoming fixtures could prove important.
Away from the tournament, Nigerian football has faced a difficult period, with the Sand Eagles and Golden Eaglets both suffering qualifying disappointments. Nigeria’s beach soccer team lost to Ghana’s Black Sharks on penalties in the race for a place at the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations, while the Golden Eaglets were eliminated from the WAFU-B U-17 Championship after a 1-1 draw with Côte d’Ivoire, following an opening defeat to Niger.
As the Women’s World Cup progresses, the opening results have already highlighted the gap between teams that started confidently and those facing an early battle to recover. With more group-stage matches ahead, the competition remains wide open.