Nigeria’s Falconets defeated England 3-0 on Thursday in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The result sent the team into the quarter-finals at Stadion Miejski in Bielsko-Biała.
Tosin Rafiu opened the scoring in the eighth minute. She struck early and gave England goalkeeper Katie Cox little chance to react. Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma then saved a first-half penalty from Rachel Maltby. The save kept Nigeria ahead at the break.
After the interval, Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei doubled the lead in the 47th minute. She finished with a left-footed volley after a corner. Mary Mamudu added the third goal in the 73rd minute. She converted a pass after England’s defence failed to clear.
The Falconets controlled the match throughout. England created few clear chances and could not mount a sustained reply. Coach Moses Aduku’s side finished the contest with a clean sheet and a convincing margin.
Nigeria reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group F with four points. The team lost 2-0 to Spain, drew 0-0 with China, and then beat New Caledonia 10-1. England had advanced as runners-up in their group.
FIFA posted a message of congratulations shortly after the final whistle. The organisation wrote: “A big win for the Falconets!”
The 3-0 scoreline marked Nigeria’s largest winning margin against England in any World Cup fixture across senior and youth levels. Nigeria, twice runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, will next face the winner of the Poland-Colombia tie. That quarter-final is scheduled for Sunday in Lodz.
