FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup- Five players who made a mark

FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup 2022: From Vicky Lopez and Mara Alber to Ajakaye Opeyemi, here are five players who impressed with their performances in the tournament in India this year.

Published : Nov 03, 2022 10:31 IST

Here are five players from the recently concluded FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup who made a mark with their performances:

1. Loreen Bender

- Golden Boot winner in the tournament

- Joint-highest goal scorer with four goals in the tournament

- Had a goal every 62.5 minutes – the best goal-per-minute ratio in the tournament

- Helped Germany complete a comeback in regulation time against Nigeria, scoring the third goal in the 90th minute, forcing the match into penalties

2. Vicky Lopez

- Golden Ball winner in the World Cup

- The young forward has already become the youngest debutant in La Liga Femeni as well as in Barcelona’s senior team

- Was the pivot in attack for Spain as it defended its U-17 World Cup

- Had direct contributions to four of Spain’s seven goals in the tournament – including two crucial late strikes against Japan in the quarterfinals

3. Linda Caicedo

- Silver Ball and Bronze boot winner in the World Cup

- Made her professional debut at the age of 14

- The attacking engine of Colombia in the U-17 team

- Led the team to its first-ever final in a FIFA tournament – men or women

- Joint-highest goal scorer with four goals

- Also played in the Copa America for Colombia’s senior team and in the U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica this year

4. Mara Alber

- Winner of the Bronze ball in the World Cup

- The architect of attack for the German team

- Involved in seven of Germany’s 16 goals in the tournament – scored two and assisted five, including one in the final

- Was one of the highest scorers at the U-17 European Championship in May 2022, with three goals

- The Hoffenheim forward has looked menacing in set-pieces and looks set for a bright future in the senior team

5. Ajakaye Opeyemi

- Nigeria’s highest goal scorer in the U-17 World Cup qualifiers

- Started in all but one match for Nigeria – the one which Nigeria lost to Colombia in the semifinal

- Won two Player of the Match Awards in Nigeria’s run-up to the third place match, where she was, again, the Player of the Match – three in six matches for the Flamingoes in the World Cup

- Scored Nigeria’s opening goal against Germany in the third-place match

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