Spain defeated defending champions North Korea 4-3 on penalties on Sunday to win the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after a goalless final in Lodz, Poland.
Neither side could find a breakthrough during 90 minutes or extra time at Stadion Miejski LKS Lodz, sending the final to a penalty shootout.
Spain goalkeeper Lopez then became the decisive figure, saving efforts from Choe Yon-A and Pak Il-Sim as Spain held their nerve to secure the title.
Both teams created opportunities during a closely contested final. North Korea threatened in the first half when Ho Kyong collected the ball outside the penalty area after a mistake by the Spanish defence, but Lopez produced a crucial save.
Spain increased the pressure after the interval, with Pau Comendador forcing North Korean goalkeeper Pak Ju-Gyong into a diving save in the 78th minute.
The deadlock remained through the end of normal time and into extra time. Spain forward Marisa Garcia came closest to breaking it, twice forcing saves from Pak.
With neither team able to score, the final went to penalties, where Lopez produced the decisive moments for Spain.
The victory gave Spain their second FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title after their triumph in Costa Rica in 2022. It also secured Spain’s second global women’s youth title in succession.
The final provided Spain with a chance to reverse their previous penalty-shootout defeat to North Korea. The two sides had met in the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, when North Korea won 4-3 on penalties.
Several players from that match featured again in Lodz.
North Korea arrived at the final unbeaten and had won every match without conceding a goal during the tournament. They had also claimed both the U-17 and U-20 world titles in 2024.
This time, Spain prevailed when the trophy was decided from the penalty spot, with Lopez’s saves proving decisive.
