Germany Stages Comeback, DPR Korea Dominates on U-17 Women's World Cup Opening Day
Opening day action in Morocco sees defending champions DPR Korea make a strong statement, while Germany secures a key group stage victory.
The story
The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2026 kicked off in Morocco yesterday, delivering immediate drama and dominant performances. In a standout Group B fixture at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, defending champions DPR Korea asserted their authority with a commanding 6-0 victory over debutantes Puerto Rico.
Yu Jong-hyang opened the scoring in the 6th minute and later completed a brace in the 38th. Ri Ui-gyong added another in the 19th minute, while Kim Won-sim also secured a brace with goals in the 34th and 50th minutes.
Ri Ye-rim tapped in the fifth goal just before halftime in the 45+1st minute. Puerto Rico made history with their first-ever appearance in a FIFA World Cup across any category, but faced a formidable opponent in the tournament's reigning champions.
Yesterday's results
Germany vs Argentina (Group A)
Score: 2-1
Key: Germany's Johanna Hebben (25') and Mia Kuhn (52') overturned an early goal from Argentina's Mercedes Diz (9').
DPR Korea vs Puerto Rico (Group B)
Score: 6-0
Key: Yu Jong-hyang (6', 38') and Kim Won-sim (34', 50') both scored braces for defending champions DPR Korea.
Where it stands
The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup kicked off in Morocco, with initial group stage matches setting the early pace. In Group A, Germany secured three points with their 2-1 victory over Argentina.
Meanwhile, defending champions DPR Korea asserted their dominance in Group B, earning a commanding 6-0 win against debutantes Puerto Rico. These early results establish DPR Korea and Germany at the top of their respective groups, with other teams yet to complete their opening fixtures.
What we'll be watching
- Kenya vs China PR (Group E, October 19, 15:00 UTC, Women's Football Complex, Rabat)
- USA vs Samoa (Group E, October 19, 18:00 UTC, Women's Football Complex, Rabat)
- Spain vs Mexico (Group F, October 19, 15:00 UTC, Women's Football Complex, Rabat)
- Argentina vs New Zealand (Group A, October 20, 15:00 UTC, Women's Football Complex, Rabat)
- Morocco vs Germany (Group A, October 20, 18:00 UTC, Women's Football Complex, Rabat)
- DPR Korea vs Poland (Group B, October 20, 15:00 UTC, Women's Football Complex, Rabat)
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.