The 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, a multinational–international women’s youth football championship, was held in India from 11 October to 30 October 2022. It was the 7th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
- The prestigious tournament was held in Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar), JLN Stadium (Margao, Goa) and DY Patil Stadium (Navi Mumbai).
Host:
The 7th FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup tournament was hosted by India. It was the second time that India have been hosted a FIFA tournament, after the men’s 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. For the first time India hosted a FIFA women’s football tournament.
- Morocco and Tanzania, along with host India, made their debuts in the tournament.
Mascot:
The official mascot for the tournament was “Ibha”.
Ibha is an Asiatic lioness, a lion subspecies that today survives in the wild only in India. The name Ibha means “one with good vision or judgement” in Khasi, a language spoken primarily in the state of Meghalaya.
According to FIFA, the mascot represents Nari Shakti (woman power) and is a “strong, playful and charming Asiatic lioness that aims to inspire and encourage women and girls by using teamwork, resilience, kindness and empowering others.”
Slogan:
The official slogan for the tournament was “Kick Off The Dream”.
VAR Technology:
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology was used for the first time in the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
- The VAR technology supports the decision-making process of the referee in four game-changing situations: goals and offences leading up to a goal, penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty, direct red card incidents, and mistaken identity.
The U-17 Women’s World Cup in India was the third FIFA women’s tournament to utilise VAR following the U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Final Match:
The final match was played on 30 October 2022 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai between Colombia and Spain.
2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Winners:
Defending champions Spain won the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory over first-time finalists Colombia. Spain won their first title in 2018.
- Nigeria finished third in the tournament while Germany finished fourth.
7th FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Awards:
- Golden Ball: Vicky López (Spain)
- Silver Ball: Linda Caicedo (Colombia)
- Bronze Ball: Mara Alber (Germany)
- Golden Boot: Loreen Bender (Germany) (4 goals, 2 assists)
- Silver Boot: Momoko Tanikawa (Japan) (4 goals)
- Bronze Boot: Linda Caicedo (Colombia) (4 goals)
- Golden Glove: Sofía Fuente (Spain)
- FIFA Fair Play Award: Japan
About FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup:
- The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is an international association football tournament for female players under the age of 17.
- It is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
- Since its inception in 2008, the tournament is held in even-numbered years.