The group stage of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 officially wrapped up last Sunday, leaving plenty of standout performances to consider when selecting the tournament's most impressive young players.
The host nation, Poland, caught many by surprise with their dominant display considering they are making their tournament debut, while traditional heavyweights like Brazil, DPR Korea, Spain and the USA also lived up to expectations, with plenty of promising talents emerging.
Striver.Football selects the standout Best XI from the Group Stages, lining up in a dynamic 4-3-3 formation to highlight the best performers across the opening three matchdays.
Goalkeeper
Nair Pina (Portugal/SC Braga)
Portugal relied on a disciplined defensive structure, requiring a goalkeeper capable of producing important saves.
Pina delivered precisely that in Group E. Her strong performance against Colombia helped Portugal secure a historic first point at the tournament.
Defence: The Best Back Four
Fernanda Viafara (Colombia/Deportivo Cali) – Right-Back
Viafara was the engine of Colombia’s transition play. Possessing blistering recovery speed, she routinely locked down her flank defensively while sustaining high-volume overlapping runs.
She maintained an outstanding 88% crossing accuracy throughout the group stage and chipped in with 1 goal.
Huang Jiaxin (China PR/Wuhan Jianghan University) – Centre-Back
A modern, physically dominant ball-playing centre-back. Beyond her airtight positional defence, her defining tournament moment was a stunning, lightning-fast 12-minute hat-trick when pushed forward on offensive set-pieces against New Caledonia, showing how effective she could be as an attacking threat from set pieces.
Thaynara (Brazil/Corinthians) – Centre-Back
Brazil cruised through Group B with 9 points without conceding a single goal from open play. Thaynara was the structural bedrock of this defensive record, winning 93% of her defensive duels and helping Brazil contain attacks from England and Canada while scoring a crucial goal of her own.
Rachel Maltby (England/Aston Villa) – Left-Back/Wing-Back
Maltby operated more like a shadow winger than a standard defender. Her unrelenting overlaps down the left flank caused chaos, culminating in four goals and an assist over three matches.
Her standout display came against Tanzania, when she scored a first-half hat-trick.
Midfield: Three Players Who Stood Out
Miyu Matsunaga (Japan/INAC Kobe Leonessa) – Central Midfielder
Matsunaga provided control and consistency in Japan's midfield. Matsunaga operated with an elite 91% pass completion rate under pressure, pivoting away from midfielders and orchestrating Japan’s signature possession-heavy style.
She marshaled the midfield while contributing two goals and an assist.
Pau Comendador (Spain/Real Madrid) – Attacking Midfielder
The creative focal point of an unstoppable Spanish attack (+15 goal difference). Comendador’s genius lies in her late, undetected runs into the penalty box.
Unlocking stubborn, deep-sitting defensive lines, she scored five goals as Spain finished the group stage with three wins from three.
Vitorinha (Brazil/São Paulo FC)
Vitorinha provided the industrial steel to complement Brazil's attacking flair. She dominated the central third physically, recorded 14 progressive ball carries and provided a threat from long range, scoring twice.
Attack: The Best Front Three
Celia Segura (Spain/FC Barcelona) – Right-Winger
The Barcelona academy graduate gave a masterclass in wide technical execution. Unpredictable in isolation dribbles, she finished among the leading scorers with five goals while showcasing elite vision to register three assists, regularly shifting between inside forward and pure winger.
Annika Paz (Argentina/Inter Milan) – Striker
At just 17 years old, Paz carried Argentina's attacking system into the round-of-16. Her movement off the shoulder of defenders was a key feature of her performances, highlighted by four goals against Benin and a clutch opening goal against Mexico. She finished the group stage with five goals.
Annabelle Chukwu (Canada/Portland Thorns FC) – Left-Winger
The ultimate dynamic spark plug. Chukwu scored four goals during the group stage, including a brace against Tanzania.
Capable of driving centrally or stretching defenses out wide, her explosive acceleration and ability to contribute in important moments strengthened her case for a place in the XI.
