21 FOR 20: U.S. roster named for U-20 Women’s World Cup

ATLANTA – U.S. Under-20 women’s youth national team head coach Vicky Jepson has named the 21 players who will represent the United States at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland that will run from Sept. 5-27, it was announced on Wednesday.

The USA opens the World Cup on Sunday, Sept. 6 against Italy (Noon ET on FOX Soccer Plus), then faces 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finalist Japan on Wednesday, Sept. 9 (Noon ET on FS2) and finishes the group stage against New Zealand on Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. ET on FS1). The U.S. will play its first and second group games at Stadion Miejski LKS Lodz in Lodz and its final group game at Arena Sosnowiec in Sosnowiec. Every match of the tournament will be broadcast in English on the FOX family of networks.

The Americans’ roster is composed of eight professional players currently playing in the National Women’s Soccer League and 13 college players. The eight pros play for Seattle Reign FC, Racing Louisville FC, Kansas City Current, Houston Dash, Bay FC and Chicago Stars FC.

The USA’s 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup team, which finished third in the world, also had eight professionals on the roster. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006, are age-eligible for the World Cup and the USA roster features nine players born in 2006, seven born in 2007 and five born in 2008. Those players born in 2008 are age-eligible for the 2028 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup as well.

“We have selected a special group of players who bring a broad and diverse range of qualities from both the college and professional game,” Jepson said in a statement. “One thing we all have in common is the understanding that it takes everyone to win a World Cup.”