The stage is officially set for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026 final.
On a thrilling Wednesday of semi-final action in Lodz, tournament favorites Spain and DPR Korea secured their places in Sunday's final, defeating their respective semi-final opponents to secure their spots in Sunday's final.
Defending champions DPR Korea defeated Colombia, while 2022 winners Spain ended Italy's historic run in the final four, while 2022 winners Spain put a clinical end to Italy’s fairy-tale debut in the final four.
Striver.Football recaps all the action from the semi-finals of the ongoing U-20 Women's World Cup.
Spain 2-0 Italy: Agote Inspires La Rojita Into the Final
Italy entered their first-ever FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup semi-final riding a wave of emotion, but La Rojita proved too precise and relentless.
Daniela Agote was named Player of the Match after contributing to both of Spain's goals, constantly unbalancing the Italian backline. In the 40th minute, an Agote cross was turned into her own net by Italy goalkeeper Elena Belli to break the deadlock.
Spain doubled down in the 56th minute when tournament standout Pau Comendador fired home her sixth goal of the competition. Italy fought valiantly, but Spain's dominance of possession limited the debutants' opportunities to create clear chances.
DPR Korea 3-0 Colombia: Defending Champions Reach Another Final
In the second semi-final, the reigning champions produced another strong performance against Colombia.
Striker Pak Ok-I opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a phenomenal, acrobatic finish inside the box. Just seven minutes later, Choe Rim-jong doubled the lead with a bullet header, both goals beautifully orchestrated by the vision of playmaker Jon Il-chong.
Immediately after the interval, So Ryu-gyong added a third in the 47th minute to eliminate any hope of a South American comeback, preserving DPR Korea's perfect defensive record in the tournament.
Read More: FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup 2026: Every Player of the Match Winner
Read More: FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup 2026 Top Scorers and Golden Boot Standings
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals: By the Numbers
13 – Consecutive U-20 World Cup match victories racked up by DPR Korea across the 2024 and 2026 tournaments.
6 – Goals scored by Spain's Pau Comendador, making her the tournament's outright leading scorer.
0 – Goals conceded by DPR Korea in their six matches at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
66% – The overwhelming share of ball possession maintained by Spain to dictate the tempo against Italy.
1 – The number of matches DPR Korea must win to become the first team to retain the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
