The first women's youth world final drew 47,000 fans to Edmonton
When Canada hosted the first global youth championship for women in 2002, organisers were surprised by a crowd of 47,000 at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium for the final. The hosts lost to the United States on a golden goal, but a young Christine Sinclair walked off with both the best player and top scorer awards.
Originally called the U-19 Women's World Championship, the tournament raised its age limit to 20 in 2006 to match the men's event and took the World Cup name from 2008. It is held in even-numbered years. From 2010 to 2018, the edition staged the year before each senior Women's World Cup went to the same host, acting as a dress rehearsal much as the Confederations Cup once did for men.
Its award winners read like a list of future stars. Brazil's Marta took the Golden Ball in Thailand in 2004, the year Germany, then holders of the senior World Cup, also won the youth title. Sydney Leroux claimed both main awards when the United States beat defending champions North Korea 2–1 in Chile in 2008. Alexandra Popp did the same on home soil in 2010, when Germany beat Nigeria in the final; it was the first time an African side had even reached the semi-finals. Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria swept the individual prizes in Canada in 2014, and Patricia Guijarro of Spain did likewise in France in 2018.
Hosting has often been messy. Vietnam's bid was withdrawn and Uzbekistan's rejected before Japan staged the 2012 edition, Canada returned as host in 2014 after a Zimbabwean bid collapsed, and Papua New Guinea took over in 2016 after South Africa pulled out. The 2020 tournament, planned for Costa Rica and Panama, was first postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic and then cancelled on 17 November 2020, so Costa Rica hosted in 2022 instead.
North Korea has been the dominant force lately. It thrashed China 5–0 in the 2006 final in Russia and won a third title in Colombia in 2024, the first edition expanded from 16 teams to 24.
Source: FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
