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Korea secure spot in FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup for third consecutive time

Published: 13 Apr. 2026, 11:42 Updated: 13 Apr. 2026, 16:31

South Korean players cheer after scoring a goal during their quarterfinal match against Thailand in the 2026 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup at Thammasat Stadium in Thailand on April 12. [NEWS1]

South Korea’s under-20 women’s national football team clinched a spot in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for the third consecutive time with its victory in a quarterfinal match at the 2026 AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Thailand on Sunday.

South Korean players pulled off a 2-1 win over Thailand after 120 minutes of extra time in the quarterfinals of the U-20 Women’s Asian Cup at Thammasat Stadium in Thailand. The match was organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The victory secured a berth for the South Korean team, led by head coach Park Youn-jeong, in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup set to take place in Poland in September.

The AFC tournament doubles as the Asian qualifier for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, with the four semifinalists earning tickets to the World Cup.

South Korean players celebrate their victory in their quarterfinal match against Thailand in the 2026 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup at Thammasat Stadium in Thailand on April 12. [KOREA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION]

South Korea previously reached the semifinals of the U-20 Women’s Asian Cup and qualified for the 2022 World Cup tournament in Costa Rica and the 2024 edition in Colombia.

The South Korean team will face the defending champion North Korea in the semifinal at Thammasat Stadium on Wednesday. The winner of the match will advance to the final scheduled for Saturday and play against the winner of the semifinal between Japan and China.

South Korea previously suffered a 0-5 defeat to North Korea in a Group B match last Wednesday.

South Korea won the tournament twice in 2004 and 2013.

In other quarterfinal matches, China beat Uzbekistan 2-1, North Korea defeated Australia 3-0 and Japan advanced with a 4-0 victory over Vietnam.

The AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup, which takes place every two years, expanded from eight to 12 participating teams starting this year, with three groups of four for the group stage. The top two teams from each group and the two teams in third place with the most points advance to an eight-team knockout stage to determine the champion.

South Korea finished fourth in the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in 2024.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]