Nigeria’s Falconets were beaten 0-2 by former champions Spain in their opening Group F fixture at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland on Monday.
Spain made their early pressure count, taking the lead in the 13th minute through Marisa Garcia, who found the back of the net beyond goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma.
The Falconets gradually settled into the contest and fashioned chances of their own, but Spain’s defence stood firm as Nigeria went into the break trailing by a goal.
Nigeria stepped up the tempo after the restart, pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Their efforts were met by a determined Spanish defence and a confident display from goalkeeper Lopez, who kept the Falconets at bay.
Spain then struck on the counter in the 72nd minute, with Alba Cerrato beating Uzoma to double the advantage and put the result beyond Nigeria’s reach.
The Falconets pressed until the final whistle but could not find a breakthrough, leaving them with no reward for their efforts.
Coach Moses Aduku’s side must now regroup quickly ahead of Thursday’s Group F clash with China PR, where victory will be important to their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.
