Atlas Lionesses qualify for the Women's U17 World Cup round of 16
According to Le360, Morocco's under-17 women's team qualified for the round of 16 of the U17 Women's World Cup, held in Morocco, as one of the four best third-placed teams in the group stage. A message posted on X by FIFA confirms it.
« The hosts are confirmed in the round of 16! 🇲🇦 #U17WWC ». This message, posted on X by the official FIFA account for the Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC), was reported by Le360 on Saturday 24 October 2026. It confirms the place of the Morocco under-17 national team in the final bracket of the World Cup hosted in Morocco.
Le360 specifies that "Youness Rabie's players qualified for the round of 16 on Saturday 24 October by finishing among the four best third-placed teams in the group stage". The site adds that "the Young Lionesses of the Atlas will indeed play in the second round of the U17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026".
Qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams
The tournament format explains this route. According to Hespress, "the top two teams in each group qualify directly for the round of 16". Lebrief.ma adds that the four best third-placed teams join them "to form a 16-team bracket".
Morocco finished third in their group. Lebrief.ma notes that, with a goal difference of -2, the Moroccan players were "assured of continuing the competition, even without finishing in the top two places in their group". Hespress describes a place "among the teams who will play in the next round".
What the league table figures show
Le360 sets out the calculation. Morocco have 3 points and a goal difference of -2. They sit ahead of Venezuela, who also have 3 points but "a less favourable goal difference (-3)", and Canada (3 points, -5). On equal points, it is therefore the goal difference that places the Moroccan players ahead.
The group stage run, recalled by Le360, comprised three matches. The Young Lionesses first beat New Zealand (4-0), then lost to Germany (4-2) and then to Argentina (5-1). Lebrief.ma places this last match on Friday 23 October 2026, on the final matchday of Group A, at the Mohammed VI Complex.
Morocco are not alone in this situation. Hespress reports that Poland also secured their place among the best third-placed teams, with a goal difference of 0. The same outlet specifies that the last two best third-placed spots will be awarded on Sunday, after the matches in Groups E and F. Morocco and Poland are therefore already among the four.
A precedent from October 2025
This qualification recalls another, reported by Bladi on 25 October 2025. The site wrote at the time that "a historic page was written for Moroccan women's football this Friday evening in Rabat". It described the under-17 team as having secured "an unprecedented qualification for the knockout phase of the World Cup, hosted on its own soil".
The scenario resembled that of 2026. After two group-stage defeats, against Brazil (0-3) and Italy (1-3), the Moroccan players had beaten Costa Rica 3-1 at the Stade Olympique in Rabat to finish third in Group A. Bladi noted that Mayssa Baha had opened the scoring in the 4th minute, "thanks to a powerful shot". The site then announced a match against North Korea for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Young Lionesses will learn their opponents in the round of 16 on Sunday 25 October, after the final group-stage matches.
Sources
- •lebrief.ma (lebrief.ma), 24 October 2026
- •Hespress (fr.hespress.com), 24 October 2026
- •Le360 (sport.le360.ma), 24 October 2026
- •Bladi (bladi.net), 25 October 2025
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