Spain aim for second U-20 Women's World Cup title, says coach Aznar

Spain head coach David Aznar has outlined his team's ambition to win the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026, as La Rojita prepare to face Nigeria, China PR and tournament debutants New Caledonia in Group F. The tournament, scheduled from 5 to 27 September, offers Spain the chance to add another global title to their growing collection.

Spain became the first nation in history to simultaneously hold the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup titles after the senior men's team triumphed in North America. The U-20 women's side now seeks to build on that success, having reached the quarter-finals at the previous edition in 2024, where they lost to Japan after extra time.

Spain's pedigree at U-20 level

Spain finished runners-up at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France, losing to Japan in the final. Patri Guijarro won both the adidas Golden Ball and adidas Golden Boot at that tournament, while players such as Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmati and Cata Coll were also part of the squad. Four years later, Spain lifted the trophy for the first time by defeating Japan 3-1 in the final. Inma Gabarro, who received the adidas Silver Ball and adidas Golden Boot, opened the scoring before Salma Paralluelo struck twice.

Aznar's confidence in the squad

Aznar, 46, previously coached the senior women's teams at Real Madrid and Athletic Club. He recently led Spain to their fifth consecutive UEFA European Women's U-19 Championship title. Speaking to FIFA, Aznar expressed excitement about the upcoming tournament. "We're really looking forward to it. We know how important this tournament is and we've got a very exciting generation of players to work with," he said.

He highlighted the depth of Spanish talent, noting that key players are already competing in top-flight football. "It reflects the depth of Spain's talent pool and the way these players are already making an impact at the highest level. We should be proud of the strength of Spanish football and excited about what the future holds."

Ambition and humility

Aznar emphasised the team's competitive mindset. "We're always ambitious. We're Spain and we want to compete for everything. We'll approach the tournament as we always do – with humility and by taking things one match at a time. That said, we believe we've got a competitive side and have complete faith in this group of players. We have big ambitions and will go to the World Cup determined to win it."

The coach acknowledged the growing challenge in women's football. "We're delighted, particularly because the challenge becomes greater with each passing year. Women's football is developing rapidly across the globe, making it increasingly difficult to stay ahead of the pack. We know we're the team everyone wants to beat in tournaments like this; our mindset is to keep proving that we're the best."

Development of women's football in Spain

Aznar attributed Spain's success to the development of women's football at all levels. "This excellent spell is the result of the development of women's football in Spain – from the initial push it received and its subsequent professionalisation to, most importantly, the tools now in place at grassroots level. The senior national team's success – including their triumph at the Women's World Cup in 2023 – has also driven a huge rise in the number of registered players."

He concluded: "Spain is a country with a great deal of talent. We're a fiercely competitive nation and enter every tournament believing we can win it. There are many statistics that underline the fantastic work being done. Maintaining that level of consistency is a significant achievement."