Poland U20 Women set for Colombia in World Cup last 16

Poland’s women’s under-20 side have carried their strong group-stage form into the knockout picture after learning they will face Colombia in the last 16 of the World Cup. Marcin Kasprowicz’s team are among the few nations to emerge from the opening phase with a perfect record, underlining the scale of their start to the tournament on home soil.

Perfect group stage puts Poland among elite

Only four teams completed the group stage with three wins from three, and Poland are part of that select group alongside Brazil, North Korea and Spain. It is a notable achievement for the hosts, who are staging the women’s U20 World Cup in Poland for the first time.

The tournament is being held across four cities: Katowice, Sosnowiec, Bielsko-Biała and Łódź. Poland’s early performances have given the competition a strong home narrative, with Kasprowicz’s side building momentum at exactly the right time.

In Group A, Poland opened with a 3-0 win over Argentina, then beat Mexico 2-1 before finishing with a 4-1 victory against Benin. Those results secured top spot and ensured a place in the knockout bracket with confidence and attacking fluency.

Kasprowicz highlights work on detail and creativity

Kasprowicz said his players had trained well and translated that work into matches, while also acknowledging there were still areas to improve. He pointed to the importance of refining details through individualised work on the training ground.

“In training the girls worked very well, and they also carried out the plan in matches. There are, of course, different phases, some very good, but also moments when a few mistakes appeared. We are working on that also through individualisation in the training process,” Kasprowicz said, as quoted by Łączy Nas Piłka.

The Poland coach also stressed the value of football intelligence and creativity within his team’s style of play, linking that to technical quality, possession and the overall rhythm of their performances.

“In this way we show how to speed up or change the centre of play. Understanding and football creativity become key, and when we add technical skills, the way of playing, keeping the ball, fluidity and football culture, then as a staff we are pleased, and the fans in the stands can see that the national team are winning deservedly,” he added.

Colombia next as knockout path becomes clear

Poland will now meet Colombia in the round of 16. Colombia’s group-stage campaign included a goalless draw with Portugal and a 3-0 defeat to reigning world champions North Korea.

If Poland progress, they will face either England or Nigeria in the quarter-finals. The bracket also points to a potentially daunting semi-final assignment, with North Korea among the possible opponents later in the competition.

Kasprowicz welcomed the extra preparation time before the knockout tie, especially after a disrupted build-up before the tournament began.

“I am an extremely happy coach that we have six days of work together and the whole squad. I only remind you that before the start of the tournament we had only one training session and a pre-match activation with five players. Now, before the round-of-16 match, we will be able to prepare meticulously. That really pleases the coach,” he said after the group match against Benin on 11 September.

Key dates for Poland and the tournament

• Poland will play Colombia in the last 16 on Thursday 17 September at 18:30.
• If they advance, Poland will face England or Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
• The final is scheduled for 26 September in Łódź.

For now, Poland’s focus is fixed on Colombia. But after a flawless group stage and with the home crowd behind them, Kasprowicz’s side have already shown they belong among the most convincing teams in the tournament.