Spain beat North Korea to lift U-20 Women's World Cup

ISTANBUL: Spain defeated defending champions North Korea 4-3 on penalties on Sunday to win the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Lodz, Poland, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The final at Stadion Miejski LKS Lodz ended goalless after 90 minutes and extra time before Spain goalkeeper Lopez emerged as the hero in the shootout, saving efforts from Choe Yon-A and Pak Il-Sim.

The hotly contested match saw both sides create chances, with Lopez producing a crucial intervention in the first half after Ho Kyong collected the ball outside the penalty area following a mistake by the Spanish defence.

Spain upped the pressure after the break, with Pau Comendador forcing a diving save from North Korean goalkeeper Pak Ju-Gyong in the 78th minute.

After the match went into extra time, Spain forward Marisa Garcia twice came close to breaking the deadlock, but Pak denied her on both occasions.

Lopez then completed her decisive performance in the shootout as Spain secured their second U-20 Women's World Cup title after their 2022 triumph in Costa Rica.

The victory also gave Spain their second global women's youth title in succession.

The final was a repeat of the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup decider, when North Korea defeated Spain 4-3 on penalties.

Several players from that match featured again in Lodz, giving Spain an opportunity to overturn their previous defeat.

North Korea had entered the final after an unbeaten campaign in which they won every match without conceding a goal, having also claimed both the U-17 and U-20 world titles in 2024. — BERNAMA