Spain have won the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after defeating defending champions DPR Korea 4-3 on penalties following a goalless draw in Sunday’s final in Łódź, Poland.
Spain goalkeeper Laia Lopez emerged as the heroine of the shootout, saving attempts from Choe Yon-A and Pak Il-Sim to hand La Rojita their second title in the competition.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock during regulation time or extra time in a tense encounter.
DPR Korea came closest in the opening half when Ho Kyong found herself with an opportunity after a defensive error by Spain, but Lopez raced off her line to block the effort.
Spain responded with greater attacking pressure after the interval, with Pau Comendador forcing DPR Korea goalkeeper Pak Ju-Gyong into a fine diving save in the 78th minute.
The Spanish side continued to threaten in extra time, as Marisa Garcia tested Pak, who made two important saves to keep the defending champions in contention.
The stalemate eventually sent the final to a penalty shootout, where Lopez produced two saves to secure the trophy for Spain.
The victory gives Spain their second U-20 Women’s World Cup crown, four years after their first triumph in Costa Rica in 2022.
Spain coach David Aznar described the success as the conclusion of “a beautiful cycle” for his players.
“For us, it was a way to bring a beautiful cycle to a close with a brilliant generation that has achieved so much success at youth level, and I think the players have made a tremendous effort. I’m very happy for them, above all to see them happy and to see them rewarded for all the work they have put in to get this far and for the effort they made in this match. It was a very tough, very difficult match, and they made things extremely difficult for us,” Aznar said.
Spain defender Silvia Cristobal said winning the trophy had been a long-standing ambition for the players.
“I think it’s the happiest day of our lives. We’ve dreamed of being here and lifting this long-awaited trophy since we were little. And, well, we’re incredibly happy, extremely proud of the result and of everything we’ve achieved,” Cristobal said.
Despite the defeat, DPR Korea coach Han Chol-Hak praised his players for their efforts.
“After the game was all over, all of our players were crying and that really broke my heart. So I tried to comfort them. And as the head coach, I think that they all did their best. So I’m very proud of them,” Han said.
The final was a repeat of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, when DPR Korea defeated Spain 4-3 on penalties.
DPR Korea nevertheless made history in Poland by becoming the first team to complete a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign without conceding a goal.
Spain forward Comendador also made history by becoming the first player to win the adidas Golden Boot at two different FIFA women’s youth tournaments.
She had previously claimed the award at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after scoring five goals.
