The FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup is set to begin on August 31, 2024. A total of 16 teams have qualified for the football tournament, with eight more teams contesting for the remaining spots. It will conclude on September 22, 2024, when the champion will be crowned. Columbia is hosting the new edition, which marks a return after two years. Spain had won the previous edition against Japan by beating them 3-1 in the final tally.
This year’s edition is special mostly because the Council has expanded the number of teams worldwide that can compete. The increase is from 16 to 24, marking the formation of six groups with 4 teams in every group. The top two teams will move up the ladder to the Round of 16. The following rounds will be quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. Two teams will contest for the third spot as well.
Columbia has previously hosted two crucial FIFA tournaments: the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2011 and the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 2016.
The global phenomenon is returning to the region, sparking a hardcore interest among the local fans. Teams that have qualified for the event are Cameroon, Austria, Colombia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Fiji, Ghana, Germany, Morocco, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain, Nigeria, and the USA.
The USA, with three tournament victories in 2002, 2008, and 2012, is poised as one of the top contenders when entering the field, despite falling short of their best performance in the last four editions. Top football betting sites consistently rank the American team as one of the favorites. Only Germany, having clinched the title in 2004, 2010, and 2014, closely rivals the USA, establishing itself as the second favorite according to football tournament predictions.
Spain and Japan could again leave a lasting impact. The fact that Japan won the U-20 football tournament in 2018 and advanced to the final round in 2022 supports this belief. They did miss the title by a GD of 2 (for an equalizer and 3 for the win); however, Japan proved that they are way more active and deserving than any other team on the list. Spain is tasked with defending the title to the best of their abilities. Last time, it was Salma Celeste who scored a double in a six-minute window after Inma had brought in an opener.
More details about the FIFA Under-20 World Cup are awaited. This pertains to the division of teams into groups and the final schedule of teams that have qualified for the tournament.
Four out of the remaining eight teams will come from AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2024, Uzbekistan. The event will go on from March 3–16, 2024. Another set of four teams will come from CONMEBOL Sub20 Femenina 2024, Ecuador, by May 5, 2024. The football tournament will start on April 11, 2024, and end on May 5, 2024. The final set of 24 teams will make it to the list of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup Colombia.
