Matchday 7 of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026 delivered high-octane drama as Groups A and B concluded.
Hosts Poland and South American powerhouses Brazil cruised into the Round of 16 with flawless records, while Argentina staged a breathtaking late comeback to eliminate Mexico and punch their ticket to the knockouts.
Meanwhile, England secured passage to the last 16 despite a narrow defeat, and Canada breathed life into their tournament survival with a dominant six-goal victory. Striver.Football recaps all the action from matchday seven.
Group A: Argentina’s Stunner Eliminates Mexico; Hosts Poland Dominate
Argentina 3-2 Mexico
In the match of the day in Katowice, Argentina pulled off a dramatic 3-2 comeback to leapfrog Mexico into second place and secure knockout qualification.
Annika Paz put Argentina ahead in the 29th minute with a flying header taking her tally to a tournament-leading five goals before Deiry Ramírez answered with a quickfire double, including an outstanding long-range strike, to put El Tri in the driver's seat.
However, Argentina’s resilience took over in the final quarter of an hour. Alma Velasco Heim smashed home an equalizer in the 78th minute through a crowded penalty area, before Dolo Delgado scored deep into injury time to send Argentina through and send Mexico home.
Benin 1-4 Poland
Hosts Poland wrapped up Group A in style with a 1-4 victory over debutants Benin in Bielsko-Biala. Zuzanna Grzywińska produced the performance of the evening, scoring a brilliant hat-trick alongside a Kinga Wyrwas goal to ensure Marcin Kasprowicz’s side finished the group stage with a perfect nine points.
Romaine Gandonou scored a sublime late free-kick consolation for Benin.
Group B: Brazil Secure Top Spot Late; Canada Thrash Tanzania
England 1-2 Brazil
Brazil maintained their 100% record in Group B after edging England 2–1 in a physical, tactical battle. England struck first through Lily Dent in the 31st minute, but Brazil hit back in the second half when Clarinha converted a 76th-minute penalty.
With both sides destined to advance, Gisele produced a moment of individual magic in the fifth minute of stoppage time, playing a one-two before driving a thunderous low strike from an acute angle to seal top spot for Selecao. Despite the loss, England progressed to the Round of 16 as group runners-up.
Tanzania 0-6 Canada
Canada kept their knockout hopes alive with an emphatic 6–0 win over Tanzania. An early Ester Masek own goal opened the scoring before Olivia Chisholm doubled the lead with a long-range rocket in the 49th minute.
Player of the Match Annabelle Chukwu added a rapid second-half brace in the 54th and 66th minute respectively, while late finishes from Kaylee Hunter and Liana Tarasco completed the scoreline.
Canada finished third on four points and now await final group results to determine if they advance as one of the best third-placed teams.
Matchday 7 in Numbers
3 - Goals scored by Poland's Zuzanna Grzywińska against Benin, marking the second hat-trick of the tournament.
5 - Tournament goals scored by Argentina’s Annika Paz, placing her alone at the top of the adidas Golden Boot standings.
6 - Goals scored by Canada against Tanzania, tied for their largest winning margin in U-20 Women's World Cup history.
9 - Maximum points accumulated by both Poland (Group A) and Brazil (Group B) to sweep their respective groups.
90+5 - The minute in which Brazil’s Gisele scored her game-winning golazo against England.
0 - Points earned by debutants Benin and Tanzania across their three group matches as both nations exit the competition.
