RismadarVoice Reporters
October 25, 2026
Zambia, Puerto Rico and New Zealand have been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after losing all three matches in their respective groups.
The three countries finished the group stage without a point, bringing their participation in the tournament to an end.
Their elimination was confirmed following the final round of matches in Groups A, B, C and D, played on Friday and Saturday.
Zambia suffered a 1-0 defeat to France in their final Group D encounter on Saturday, ending a disappointing campaign in which they failed to secure a point.
The Southern African side had earlier lost 5-0 to Japan before suffering a 3-2 defeat against Venezuela.
In Group A, New Zealand completed their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Germany on Friday.
The New Zealanders had previously lost 4-0 to hosts Morocco and 2-0 to Argentina, finishing bottom of the group without scoring a goal.
Puerto Rico also exited the competition after losing 6-2 to Poland in their final Group B fixture.
The Caribbean side had earlier suffered a 6-0 defeat to defending champions North Korea and a 2-0 loss to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s Group C matches produced significant results as Ghana defeated Canada 2-0, while Brazil secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Norway.
The results strengthened the positions of Ghana and Brazil as teams battled for places in the knockout stage.
In Group D, Japan maintained their impressive form with a 2-0 victory over Venezuela, while France edged Zambia 1-0.
Japan’s victory followed earlier wins over Zambia and France, completing a perfect group-stage record.
The competition continues on Sunday with the final matches in Groups E and F, which will determine the remaining teams advancing to the Round of 16.
The scheduled fixtures include China against the United States, Samoa against Kenya, Chile against Spain, and Mexico against Australia.
The 2026 tournament, hosted by Morocco, features 24 national teams competing across six groups.
The top two teams from each group, alongside the four best third-placed teams, advance to the knockout stage.
With the group phase approaching its conclusion, attention is shifting towards the Round of 16 as the remaining contenders pursue the world title.
