According to a report by Daily Post on Friday October 23, 2026, Nine countries have secured qualification for the Round of 16 at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.

Nigeria and Poland were the latest teams to book their places in the knockout stage after recording victories in their final Group B matches on Friday.

The Flamingos defeated defending champions North Korea 3-1, while Poland secured an emphatic 6-2 victory over Puerto Rico.

Nigeria's impressive performance against North Korea ensured that the West African side finished second in Group B with six points from three matches.

Despite losing the encounter, North Korea also progressed to the Round of 16 after finishing ahead of Nigeria in the group standings.

Poland, meanwhile, secured its place in the next round following a convincing display against Puerto Rico, whose disappointing campaign ended after three consecutive defeats.

The two countries joined Spain, the United States, North Korea, China and Japan among the teams already through to the knockout stage.

Germany and Argentina also qualified after finishing first and second, respectively, in Group A.

With nine countries having secured their places, attention has now shifted to the remaining group-stage fixtures, which will determine the other teams progressing to the Round of 16.

Several decisive encounters are scheduled for Saturday, including Ghana's clash with Canada.

Brazil will face Norway, while Zambia will take on France in another important fixture as the teams battle to keep their tournament ambitions alive.

Japan are also scheduled to face Venezuela as the group-stage campaign continues in Morocco.

The remaining matches are expected to provide further clarity on the final qualification picture ahead of the knockout stage.

For Nigeria, the victory over North Korea represents a significant boost as the Flamingos seek to build on their group-stage performance and continue their pursuit of the title.

The team will now look forward to the Round of 16, where the challenge will become more demanding as the competition moves closer to its decisive stages.