Argentina and England look to secure knockout berths
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ continues on Friday with the final matches in Groups A and B. Hosts Poland and Brazil have already secured their place in the Round of 16 and will be looking to end the preliminaries on a high note. There is all to play for elsewhere as Argentina and England look to continue their winning ways, with all teams in with a chance of punching their tickets to the knockout rounds.
Fixtures
Friday, 11 September England v Brazil Tanzania v Canada Benin v Poland Argentina v Mexico
How to watch
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™ will be available to watch on FIFA+ via DAZN in selected territories. Supporters can check which other broadcasters are showing each match in their territory on the Matches page. Fans can buy tickets to watch the stars of tomorrow here.
Group B
England v Brazil
Bielsko-Biala Stadium | Bielsko-Biala
Kick-off time
10:00 in Brasilia 14:00 in London 15:00 in Bielsko-Biala
As in 2018 in France, England and Brazil will meet again on the U-20 Women’s World Cup stage. Eight years ago, in Dinan-Lehon, Georgia Stanway put England ahead from the penalty spot, only for Ary Borges to equalise in stoppage time. Brazil would happily settle for a similar outcome in Poland, as it would guarantee them top spot in Group B. The Seleção have won both of their matches in convincing fashion, beating Tanzania 4-1 before seeing off Canada 3-0. England, meanwhile, sit second with four points and know they must win to claim top spot, while a draw would be enough to secure their place in the knockout stage.
Tanzania v Canada
Arena Katowice | Katowice
Kick-off time
09:00 in Ottawa 15:00 in Katowice 16:00 in Dodoma
A high-stakes encounter awaits in Katowice. Tournament debutants Tanzania have no room for error in Poland if they are to reach the knockout stage. They are currently in the most difficult position after heavy defeats by Brazil and England, but a victory over Canada could change everything and potentially put them on course for the Round of 16. With one point to their name, the Canucks are slightly better placed, but qualification could prove difficult if they fail to win this last-chance showdown.
Group A
Benin v Poland
Bielsko-Biala Stadium | Bielsko-Biala
Kick-off time
17:00 in Porto-Novo 18:00 in Bielsko-Biala
The equation is simple in this clash: whatever the result, hosts Poland will remain on top of the group after already securing first place with victories over Argentina and Mexico. Coach Marcin Kasprowicz and captain Zuzanna Witek have nevertheless made it clear that they want to finish with maximum points, and this match will offer an opportunity to maintain their momentum ahead of a crucial last-16 tie in Bielsko-Biala. For Benin, this will be a final, following a difficult second outing against Argentina. Despite the 8-0 defeat, coach Ouzerou Abdoulaye is convinced it was merely a blip and still firmly believes his side can qualify. A victory over the hosts would take the young Amazons to four points and keep them in contention for one of the four spots reserved for the best third-placed teams.
Argentina v Mexico
Arena Katowice | Katowice
Kick-off time
10:00 in Mexico City 13:00 in Buenos Aires 18:00 in Katowice
Argentina and Mexico are two footballing nations accustomed to crossing paths, but the two sides have never previously met on the U-20 Women’s World Cup stage. Their first encounter could prove a memorable one, with neither team having yet secured its fate in the group. Both can still reach the Round of 16, but both could also head home. Annika Paz and her Argentina team-mates hold the advantage heading into the clash, as a draw would be enough to keep Alice Soto and Mexico behind them. Both sides could, however, be heavily influenced by what happens in Bielsko-Biała, as a Benin upset against Poland would raise the stakes even further in what promises to be a fascinating encounter.
What they said...
"Perfection does not exist in life. There are always things to improve, and there always will be. We also have to remember that half of this team is very young. In fact, half of the squad will still be eligible for the U-20 World Cup in two years’ time, while five of these players can compete at the U-17 World Cup in a few months. So it is only natural that we make mistakes. But we came here to play a leading role, to compete on equal terms with every team and to represent Argentina in the best possible way." Christian Meloni, Argentina coach
"I think if we keep a cool head, and I am confident that we can finish the group stage with nine points." Zuzanna Witek, Poland captain
"The match [against Brazil] is going to be a really exciting game. The last one which is really important for us but we’ll just prepare the same way and hopefully get a win." Rachel Maltby, England hat-trick hero
"We can still go out there and win that third game, so as far as I’m concerned, nothing is lost. We just need to stay clear-headed and try to look back at what didn’t work. With this team, I can’t remember conceding more than three goals in five or six years. If it has happened, then there are reasons for it, but there is no reason to believe that it’s over. We are absolutely not going to get discouraged. Never." Ouzerou Abdoulaye, Benin coach
"I see every game as a final. That’s how you have to approach them. We’re going to give everything we have because winning will make us feel better, so we have to play it as if it were a final. I think we need to keep looking for the next goal. In the end, I feel like we did that as a team, but we can give more." Berenice Ibarra, Mexico defender
Key stats
A total of 20 goals were scored when these teams played on Matchday 2.
Argentina's 8-0 victory over Benin is the eighth-highest largest margin of victory at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The fixture also marked the joint ninth highest-scoring game in tournament history.
Argentina's Annika Paz joined Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria), Stina Blackstenius (Sweden) and Liana Joseph (France) in scoring four goals in a single FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup match to sit joint third on the all-time charts. Only Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Kim Un-Hwa (DPR Korea) have netted more with five.
Rachel Maltby is the second England player to score a hat-trick at the U-20 showpiece following Lauren Hemp's efforts against Mexico in 2018.