Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Mexico in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup after booking their place in the knockout stage with a stunning victory over defending champions North Korea, Footynaija reports.
Coach Akeem Busari’s side will take on Mexico on Thursday, October 29, in Salé, Morocco, hoping to build on their impressive finish to the group stage and move closer to the quarter-finals.
The Flamingos boosted their confidence with a 3-1 win over North Korea in their final Group B match. Goals from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Oluebube Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf, who scored with a spectacular free-kick, secured a memorable result against the reigning champions.
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How Nigeria and Mexico reached the Round of 16
Both teams finished second in their respective groups with six points from three matches, recording two victories and one defeat.
Nigeria began their campaign with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Poland but responded with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico before producing their standout performance against North Korea.
Mexico followed a similar path in Group F. El Tri opened with a 2-0 defeat to Spain before recovering to beat Chile 3-1. They then secured qualification with a narrow 1-0 victory over Australia.
Flamingos have history on their side
Nigeria will draw encouragement from their previous meeting with Mexico at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
The teams have met once in the tournament, with the Flamingos recording a convincing 3-0 victory in their final Group D match at the 2014 edition in Costa Rica.
That result helped Nigeria finish top of their group with a perfect record before progressing to the knockout stage.
Twelve years later, the Flamingos will hope to repeat that performance and extend their run in Morocco.
