Mexico kicks off U-20 Women’s World Cup run with a draw
Soto, Saldivar scored first goals for Mexico against Benin in Group A
KATOWICE, Poland – The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup kicked off on Saturday, with Mexico securing a 2-2 draw against Benin in their opening match in Group A at Arena Katowice in Katowice, Poland.
This was the first meeting between these teams, as Benin is making its tournament debut, while Mexico is appearing in its 11th U-20 Women's World Cup.
Mexico opened the goal count in the 21’ after a great collective effort that made them reach Benin’s box, Alice Soto ready to send the ball to the back of the net with a right foot shot.
El Tricolor kept pushing in the second half, doubling their lead in the 51’, Montserrat Saldivdar delivering a left foot shot that meant the second goal for her team.
Benin managed to pull one back in the 56’ after the referee called a penalty for a Noemi Villalobos foul in the area, with Romaine Gandonu making no mistake from the penalty spot.
Benin found the equalizer in the last minutes of the match, in the 87’, with Gandonu securing a brace through a right foot shot in the box.
Mexico will look for their first win in Group A on Wednesday against hosts Poland, who secured a 3-nil victory against Argentina in their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup debut.
Post-Match Facts
- Alice Soto's opening goal for Mexico against Benin involved 12 passes in the build-up, the most for any goal scored by the team in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup since 2018.
- Mexico surpassed Benin in possession (75% to 25%) and maintained its lead until the 87th minute of the match. This is the highest possession percentage for a Latin American team in the last four editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
- María Gonzáles has become only the second Mexico player to be involved in a goal as a substitute across the last four editions of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, following her assist against Benin today; she follows Alejandra Lomelí, who scored against Australia in 2024.
