Women's U17 World Cup: Morocco faces New Zealand tomorrow
Morocco opens its campaign in the 10th Women's U17 World Cup, which it is hosting, facing New Zealand tomorrow in Group A alongside Germany and Argentina.
Morocco's national team opens its Women's U17 campaign in the 10th edition of the Women's U17 World Cup, which it is hosting, against New Zealand tomorrow, Saturday, at 18:00 at the Complexe Mohammed VI football center, in Group A alongside Germany and Argentina. Coach Youness Rabie is counting on home advantage and crowd support for a strong start.
Group A and the tournament schedule
The draw, held on 21 May 2026, placed Morocco alongside New Zealand, Germany and Argentina in Group A, in a tournament featuring 24 teams split into six groups of four. The top two teams in each group, plus the four best third-placed teams, advance to the round of 16. The competition runs from 17 October to 7 November, with the final set to be played in Rabat. The 24-team field includes North Korea, the defending champion from the last two editions, alongside Spain, underlining the tournament's strong competitive level.
A second appearance and repeated hosting
Morocco is making its second appearance at the finals of this competition, after debuting at the 2022 World Cup in India, where it qualified on penalties against Ghana before beating India 3-0 in the group stage, with goals from Doha El Madani, Yasmine Zouhir and Jinane Cherif. The Kingdom had already hosted the tournament's 9th edition in 2025, the first time the competition was held on the African continent, as part of an agreement granting Morocco several consecutive editions through 2029. Youness Rabie led the team through African qualifying, where it beat Niger 11-0 on aggregate in the second round before facing Algeria, and he announced his final squad last Thursday.
What's at stake in the opener
The coaching staff is focused on analysing New Zealand's style of play, with a win in the opener seen as important for qualification chances in a group that also includes two strong sides, Germany and Argentina. Morocco's run comes amid a notable rise for Moroccan women's football, following a recent performance by the senior Atlas Lionesses team, against a backdrop of continued institutional support for the sport across all age categories.