From Touray To Chácon: Six Standouts From The Under-17 Women’s World Cup

The 2025 Under-17 Women’s World Cup is good nether measurement successful Morocco pinch Brazil, China, Canada and Spain among nan countries who person reached nan past 16. After an intriguing group shape present are immoderate of nan young stars who person stood retired truthful far:

Giulia Galli (Italy): Italy person been 1 of nan astonishment packages of nan tourney truthful far, spearheaded by nan goals of Galli. The 17-year-old has enjoyed an eye-catching twelvemonth for nine and country: she was astatine nan bosom of her nation’s tally to nan semi-finals of this summer’s Under-17 European Championship, their highest decorativeness successful much than a decade that booked their spot astatine this World Cup. Since then, she has recovered herself successful and astir nan Roma elder team, scoring her first extremity for nan nine – nan victor – successful their Serie A Women’s Cup fixture against Milan. She has led nan complaint erstwhile again successful Morocco arsenic Selena Mazzantini’s broadside won each 3 group games to progress. All 5 goals to day person demonstrated her uncanny knack of breaking protect lines arsenic good arsenic her instinctive objective expertise wrong nan box.

Giovanna Waksman (Brazil): Waksman is simply a acquainted sanction for anyone intimately attuned to Brazilian younker football. The 16-year-old is 1 of nan astir highly rated youngsters coming done nan pathway and her earthy accomplishment and knowing of nan crippled person shone passim her younker profession to day – astatine Botafogo and astatine precocious schoolhouse successful Florida – arsenic has her goalscoring ability. She made her debut for Brazil’s Under-17s astatine nan property of 14 earlier being named subordinate of nan tourney astatine nan 2024 South American Championship and featuring successful each their group games astatine past year’s World Cup successful nan Dominican Republic. With nan qualities to play some arsenic a guardant and a No 10, nan Rio de Janeiro subordinate has impressed successful Morocco contempt Brazil’s stuttering tally to nan knockout stage. She has 3 goals to her name, scoring successful their opening triumph complete nan hosts and notching 2 goals arsenic skipper successful their 4-3 conclusion to Italy. The Seleção will request her to beryllium astatine her champion erstwhile they look China next.

Giovanna Waksman celebrates scoring against Italy. Photograph: Charlotte Wilson/Fifa/Getty Images

Kim Won-sim (North Korea): Not overmuch is known astir North Korea connected nan elder world shape but their value astatine younker level is undeniable. The existent holders and 3 times world champions person comfortably made it done to nan past 16 pinch 3 wins from three. Fifteen-year-old Kim has been astatine nan bosom of their occurrence truthful acold and embodies nan characteristics that person made her federation truthful successful astatine this level. Working tirelessly from nan front, she possesses an innate method expertise that was exemplified by her 2 goals successful their triumph complete Cameroon. She combines impressively pinch Ri Ui-gyong down nan near and they linked up for some her near-post finishes. Her second, a good flicked header, was peculiarly crucial, a 98th-minute victor to nonstop her squad through.

Carlota Chácon (Spain): Spain’s Chácon has been 1 of nan breakout stars, scoring 4 goals successful nan group stages to thief her broadside suffice for nan knockouts pinch a crippled to spare. She was utilized sparingly successful La Rojita’s disappointing showing astatine May’s Euros erstwhile they needed a playoff triumph against Austria to book their spot successful this tournament. Under caller coach Mila Martínez, however, nan Real Sociedad guardant has travel to nan fore pinch her goalscoring small heart wrong nan container and nan beardown relationships she is building pinch those astir her. She besides possesses beardown aerial ability. Spain were denied their 3rd World Cup title successful a statement past clip retired erstwhile they were beaten by North Korea successful nan last successful nan Dominican Republic. They will beryllium looking to avenge that conclusion but look a difficult brushwood pinch France successful nan past 16.

Queen Joseph (Nigeria): Nigeria’s advancement astatine this World Cup has been acold from easy aft defeats to Canada and France near them connected nan precipice of elimination. Their run was salvaged by a 4-0 triumph successful their last group game. At nan bosom of nan Flamingos’ turnaround was Queen Joseph, whose player-of-the-match capacity against Samoa featured 2 goals to return her tourney tally to three. Electric going forward, nan 15-year-old tin break done hesitant protect lines while besides being an instinctive finisher wrong nan box.

Nyanya Touray (USA): With nan group stages completed, Touray is only 1 extremity distant from equalling nan grounds scored by an American astatine an Under-17 Women’s World Cup. With 4 goals to date, nan 17-year-old has continued her goalscoring shape for her nationalist team, having ended this summer’s Four Nations Tournament arsenic apical scorer. An instinctive finisher, nan Florida State Seminoles guardant has been important to nan USA’s beardown showing successful Morocco. Katie Schoepfer’s broadside cruised done to nan information of 16 scoring 13 and conceding 2 and will beryllium favourites against nan Netherlands to scope nan quarter-finals. They are aiming to scope their first last since 2008 aft picking up a bronze badge past year.

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