By Charles Pemu 
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 knockout stage burst into life on Tuesday with a pair of dramatic Round of 16 clashes, headlined by an emphatic victory for Italy and a dominant display from defending champions North Korea.
In the evening’s most decisive fixture, Italy delivered a commanding performance to secure a convincing 4-0 victory over Nigeria. The young Azzurre demonstrated clinical finishing and solid defensive organization to dismantle a Nigerian side that had struggled for consistency in the group stage.
Italy’s attack, which has been spearheaded by breakout star Giulia Galli one of the tournament’s current top scorers proved too potent for the African side. Whi le the scoreline reflects a heavy defeat, the match showcased the sharp contrast between a cohesive European attack and a talented but inconsistent Nigerian defense. Italy now moves on to the quarter-finals, cementing their status as one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
Defending Champions Cruise Past Morocco
Elsewhere, three-time champions North Korea reminded the world of their pedigree with an utterly dominant 6-1 victory against host nation Morocco. The reigning champions showed no mercy, with their relentless attacking style and innate technical ability proving overwhelming for the home side.
Though Morocco fought hard in front of their passionate home support, the gap in quality was evident. North Korea’s teenage sensation, Kim Won-sim, was again at the heart of the action, continuing her stellar run in the tournament. The result sees the defending champions march confidently into the quarter-finals, looking every bit the favourite to challenge for an unprecedented fourth title.
Today’s Knockout Action
The thrill of the Round of 16 continues today with four more captivating fixtures that will determine the rest of the quarter-finalists.
- Mexico will face a determined Paraguay side, with both teams looking to secure a rare knockout victory.
- A European heavyweight clash sees reigning two-time champions Spain lock horns with an equally talented France squad in a highly anticipated contest.
- In the second set of matches, Canada takes on a formidable Zambia, promising an intense battle between North American and African football styles.
- Finally, former champion Japan will look to their technical prowess to overcome a physical Colombia side.
The winners of these fixtures will complete the line-up for the quarter-finals, as the competition for the prestigious FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy intensifies.