A detail view of Canada branding on a team uniform ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, July 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Scott Barbour

Canada has been drawn in Group D with Nigeria, France and newcomer Samoa at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.

The expanded 24-country competition, up from 16 teams, runs Oct. 17 to Nov. 8 in Rabat. It will mark the first time an African country has hosted the women's U-17 tournament.

The young Canadians, under interim coach Gary Moody, qualified by topping their qualifying group in April with wins over host Nicaragua (5-0), Panama (2-0) and Puerto Rico (3-2).

Canada joined Mexico (Group A winner) and the United States (Group C winner) plus Costa Rica, the best second-place finisher in the three qualifying pools, in booking their ticket from CONCACAF to the FIFA tournament.

Nigeria is making its African-record eighth trip to the tournament, finishing third in 2022 and reaching the quarterfinals on four other occasions. France, which qualified by reaching the UEFA semifinals in qualifying play, won the U-17 World Cup in 2012 but has only qualified twice since.

Samoa is making its first-ever appearance at a FIFA championship.

Canada's women are also headed to their eighth U-17 World Cup, missing out only in 2024 when CONCACAF only sent two teams to the FIFA championship, with the federation's Dominican Republic hosting the tournament.

Canada finished third in qualifying after losing 2-1 to Mexico after extra time in the semifinal. The U.S. also qualified, finished third at the 2024 FIFA tournament.

Canada's best showing at the FIFA U-17 World Cup was fourth in 2018. It made the quarterfinals in 2008, 2012 and 2014.

Canada, Haiti, Mexico and the U.S., had received byes to the final round of 2025 CONCACAF qualifying. The other eight entries came through a 22-team qualifying round Jan. 27-Feb. 1 that sent six group winners (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Puerto Rico) and the two best second-place finishers (Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago) to the final round.

North Korea is the defending FIFA U-17 champion, having also hoisted the trophy in 2008 and 2016.

Other former champions in the field are South Korea (2010), Japan (2014) and Spain (2018 and '22).

FIFA U1-7 Women's World Cup Draw

Group A: Brazil, Costa Rica, Italy, Morocco.

Group B: Cameroon, North Korea, Mexico, Netherlands.

Group C: China, Ecuador, Norway, U.S.

Group D: Canada, France, Nigeria, Samoa.

Group E: Colombia, Ivory Coast, South Korea, Spain.

Group F: Japan, New Zealand, Paraguay, Zambia.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025