# 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
The 2018 [FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-u-20-womens-world-cup) was the ninth edition of FIFA's world championship for women's national teams aged under 20, played in Brittany, France, from 5 to 24 August 2018 and won by Japan, who beat Spain 3-1 in the final in Vannes.[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world) • [2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 to 24 August 2018[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world) |
| Host region and cities | Entirely in Brittany: Vannes, Concarneau, Dinan/Léhon and Saint-Malo[3](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/fifa-u-20-women-s-world-cup-france-2018-host-cities-announced-2907335) |
| Field | 16 teams from the six FIFA confederations, in four groups; the top two in each group advanced to the quarter-finals[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world) |
| Final | Japan 3-1 Spain, Stade de la Rabine, Vannes, 24 August; Miyazawa, Takarada and Nagano scored[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) |
| Third place | England beat France 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, England's best finish at the tournament[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) |
| Golden Ball | Patricia Guijarro of Spain, named the tournament's best player[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) |
| Significance for Japan | First U-20 title, making Japan the only nation to have won the women's World Cup at every age level[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) |
## Organization in Brittany
The entire competition was staged in the French region of [Brittany](https://www.edgepedia.org/brittany-administrative-region), at four stadiums: Guy Piriou Stadium in Concarneau, Clos Gastel Stadium in Léhon (paired with Dinan), Marville Stadium in [Saint-Malo](https://www.edgepedia.org/saint-malo), and Rabine Stadium in Vannes.[3](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/fifa-u-20-women-s-world-cup-france-2018-host-cities-announced-2907335) The match schedule, released on 17 January 2018, placed both the opening match, at 16:30 CET on Sunday 5 August, and the final, at 19:30 CET on Friday 24 August, at the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes.[4](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/france-2018-match-schedule-revealed-2925583) Concentrating a World Cup in one region was a deliberate arrangement: the FFF's local organizing committee director explained that FIFA's requirements called for organizing two World Cups in eleven months, the under-20 event and then the senior 2019 Women's World Cup, which spread nine cities across France.[5](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Pourquoi-le-mondial-u20-femmes-a-lieu-en-bretagne/928094) The tournament served as a preview of the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019, scheduled for 7 June to 7 July.[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world)
The Final Draw took place at the Rennes Opera House on 8 March, International Women's Day.[6](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/draw-sets--out-route--to-0803-2931920) FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura used the occasion to congratulate Haiti, who had qualified for their first-ever FIFA women's tournament.[6](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/draw-sets--out-route--to-0803-2931920) Haiti's place carried two distinctions: it was the country's first [FIFA Women's World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-womens-world-cup) in any age group, and it made Haiti the first Caribbean side ever to reach one.[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world)
## Field and favorites
Sixteen teams from the six confederations were drawn into four groups, with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world) The defending champions, Korea DPR, were rated favorites to retain their crown, with hosts France, Japan, the United States and Germany among the other contenders.[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world) At the start, only three countries had ever won the competition: USA, Germany and Korea DPR, and all three took part in Brittany.[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world)
## The final and the road to it
Spain and Japan met twice within three weeks. In the group stage, Spain won 1-0 in Concarneau on 9 August through a goal by Carmen Menayo, the only score of the match.[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXql4OgLLgQ) Both then won their semi-finals, Japan beating England and Spain beating hosts France, to reach the final for the first time in each country's history at this competition.[8](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-and-spain-reach-their-first-final)
In the final in Vannes on 24 August, Japan reversed the group-stage result, with Hinata Miyazawa, Saori Takarada and Fuka Nagano scoring in a 3-1 win, fifteen days after the 1-0 defeat to the same opponents.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) The victory was Japan's first U-20 Women's World Cup title and, following the senior Nadeshiko's 2011 World Cup and the under-17 title won in [Costa Rica](https://www.edgepedia.org/costa-rica) in 2014, made Japan the only nation to have won every age-level World Cup in the women's game.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) Spain's Patricia Guijarro received the adidas Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253)
## Third place and notable details
England took the bronze medal in the day's earlier match, drawing 1-1 with France ([Georgia Stanway](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgia-stanway) scoring first, Emelyne Laurent equalizing from the penalty spot) and winning the shoot-out 4-2.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253) It was the only shoot-out of the knockout stage, since every previous knockout winner had prevailed within 90 minutes, and it gave England their highest-ever finish at the tournament.[2](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253)
Squad rosters recorded the coaches of the main protagonists as Futoshi Ikeda (Japan), Pedro López (Spain), Mo Marley (England) and Gilles Eyquem (France).[9](https://www.fifadata.com/document/FU20WWC/2018/pdf/FU20WWC_2018_SQUADLISTS.pdf) Several players in the tournament went on to senior prominence; the lineup had been promoted beforehand as featuring future stars such as [Sophia Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/sophia-smith) (USA), Patri Guijarro (Spain), Georgia Stanway (England) and Nerilia Mondesir (Haiti).[1](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world) The Spain-Japan final pairing proved durable: the two met again in the 2022 final, which Spain won 3-1 to avenge the 2018 result.[10](https://elpais.com/deportes/2022-08-29/espana-conquista-el-mundial-femenino-sub-20.html)
## References
1. [Brittany welcomes the world, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/brittany-welcomes-the-world)
2. [Japan celebrate historic triumph as England seal bronze, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-celebrate-historic-title-win-england-seal-bronze-2992253)
3. [FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 Host Cities announced, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/fifa-u-20-women-s-world-cup-france-2018-host-cities-announced-2907335)
4. [France 2018 match schedule revealed, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/france-2018-match-schedule-revealed-2925583)
5. [Pourquoi le Mondial U20 femmes a lieu en Bretagne, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Pourquoi-le-mondial-u20-femmes-a-lieu-en-bretagne/928094)
6. [Draw sets out route to France 2018 glory, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/draw-sets--out-route--to-0803-2931920)
7. [Spain v. Japan, Match 14, FIFA (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXql4OgLLgQ)
8. [Japan and Spain reach their first final, FIFA](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/u20womensworldcup/france2018/news/japan-and-spain-reach-their-first-final)
9. [FIFA U-20 Women's WC France 2018 List of Players, FIFA](https://www.fifadata.com/document/FU20WWC/2018/pdf/FU20WWC_2018_SQUADLISTS.pdf)
10. [España conquista el Mundial femenino sub-20, El País](https://elpais.com/deportes/2022-08-29/espana-conquista-el-mundial-femenino-sub-20.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › Other FIFA competitions › FIFA youth World Cups › FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license