Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have emerged champions of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after securing a 2-1 victory over Japan in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco.
The triumph marks a historic moment for Nigerian and African football, with the Flamingos becoming the first African nation to lift the trophy since the competition began.
The Nigerian side sealed the landmark victory at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, overcoming a strong Japanese team to claim their maiden title in the tournament.
Their journey to the final was marked by a remarkable recovery after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage fixture.
The Flamingos subsequently regained their form with victories over Puerto Rico and defending champions North Korea to secure qualification for the knockout rounds.
They continued their impressive run by eliminating Mexico in the round of 16 before defeating Venezuela in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final clash with Brazil.
Against Brazil, Nigeria produced a commanding display to earn a 3-1 victory. Queen Joseph opened the scoring, while Awawu Bashiru struck twice to send the Nigerian team into the final for the first time in their history.
Japan also enjoyed an impressive campaign, booking their place in the final after defeating North Korea in a tense semi-final encounter settled through a penalty shootout.
The Japanese team had been seeking to win the competition for the second time, having previously claimed the title in 2014.
However, Nigeria’s victory ended that ambition and handed the Flamingos their first world title at the age-grade level.
The achievement represents a major breakthrough for women’s football in Nigeria and places the country among the winners of FIFA’s global youth competitions.
