New Delhi: If India does get the chance to host the Under-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup, then residents of Odisha and especially Bhubaneswar will have the chance to see the Brazil football team in action. This is because India have been clubbed alongside the football powerhouse, Morocco and the USA in a tough group. All the India under-17 women’s matches will be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The draw of the under-17 women’s World Cup took place Friday in Zurich.
India is slated to host the tournament from October 11 to 30 across three venues – Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium, Goa’s Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
India, being the host nation, are an automatic selection and is placed in Group A. A total of 16 teams across four groups will be participating in the tournament.
India will begin their campaign against the USA, October 11 (Tuesday) at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Their second match will be against Morocco October 14 (Friday) at the same venue. The home team’s last group stage match against Brazil will be October 17 (Monday).
India were scheduled to host the 2020 edition of the World Cup but the tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Defending champions Spain, who beat Mexico in the final of the 2018 edition, are placed in Group C along with Colombia, China, and Mexico.
Group B consists of Germany, Nigeria, Chile and New Zealand. Japan, Tanzania, Canada and France constitute Group D.
North Korea are the most successful team in the history of the tournament, having won the trophy in 2008 and 2016, while Japan, South Korea, and France have each won the title once.
This is the second time India is hosting a FIFA tournament after the U-17 men’s World Cup in 2017.