FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022: Spain has retained the crown after narrow 1-0 win against Colombia in final.

Key Highlights:

• Spain beat Colombia in the final of the U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup after they beat Colombia by 1-0 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on October 30, 2022.
• Spain emerged the winners after an own goal by Colombian defender Ana María Guzmán Zapata in the 82nd minute.
• FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alongside the top officials from the Asian Football Federation (AFC) and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), attended the venue as Spain managed a solitary goal win and successfully retained the World Cup title which they also claimed in 2018.

Note: Morocco and Tanzania, along with host India, made their debuts in the tournament.

FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup:

• The 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was the 7th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
• It is a multinational-international women’s youth football championship that is contested by the under-17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in the year 2008.
• With the conclusion of the U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup, India have successfully organized the tournament that was held in different cities across the nation.
• It was the second time that India have been hosting a FIFA tournament, after the men's 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and the first time that India hosting a FIFA women's football tournament.

Background:

• India were originally selected as hosts of the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on 15 March 2019.
• On 17 November 2020, FIFA announced that the 2020 edition of the tournament would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, India were appointed as hosts of the next edition of the tournament in 2022.
• On 16 August 2022, it was announced that the All India Football Federation, or AIFF, was suspended by FIFA due to undue influence from third parties.
• As a result, the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was stripped from India, as FIFA assessed the next steps when it came to hosting the tournament.
• On 26 August 2022, the AIFF were reinstated by FIFA due to the AIFF administration regaining control of daily affairs. As a result, the tournament will be going ahead as planned.