FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2026 in Morocco announces 24-team roster and group draw

FIFA has confirmed that the 2026 U-17 Women's World Cup will be staged in Morocco from 17 October to 7 November. The tournament features 24 national teams, with the host nation qualifying automatically. Slots are allocated across the six confederations: Africa (Morocco, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia), Asia (China, Japan, South Korea), CONMEBOL (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela), CONCACAF (United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico), Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Samoa) and UEFA (Germany, France, Norway, Poland, Spain). The teams are divided into six groups of four, with the top two and the four best third‑placed sides advancing to the knockout stage.

Zambia, nicknamed the "Copper Princesses," were drawn in Group D alongside Japan, France and Venezuela. Their campaign opens against Japan on 18 October, followed by matches versus Venezuela on 21 October and France on 24 October. The draw marks Zambia’s third consecutive appearance in the tournament after an unbeaten qualifying run that saw them defeat Rwanda, DR Congo and Ethiopia.