Japan reach Morocco 2026 final after late equaliser and penalty shoot-out win

Japan recovered from a late deficit to draw 1–1 with DPR Korea and win the semi-final shoot-out on 4 November, reaching the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026 final.

A last-gasp equaliser changes the tie

DPR Korea led the semi-final after Ri Ui-gyong's 52nd-minute goal, but Japan kept pressing at the Mohammed VI Football Complex. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Won Sol-gyong put the ball into her own net under pressure, sending the match to the penalty spot after a video review.

Japan hold their nerve from the spot

Official FIFA and Japan Football Association records list a 4–1 shoot-out win for Japan. The match-centre listing records Japan 1–1 DPR Korea (4–1 PSO), with Japan converting the decisive fourth kick. The result sends Japan back to the world final for the first time since 2016.

A final against Brazil or Nigeria

Japan will face the winner of Brazil and Nigeria in the Morocco 2026 final. FIFA's final-day announcement places the bronze match and final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat on Saturday 7 November; the venue had previously been listed as Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

The factual line

This recap reports the completed Japan–DPR Korea semi-final only. It does not assign a winner to Brazil–Nigeria or treat the late equaliser as a normal-time winning goal: the match was level after 90 minutes and Japan advanced via the separate shoot-out.

Correction / update (2026-11-07): Correction 7 November 2026: the semi-final shoot-out score has been corrected from 4–2 to 4–1. The official FIFA match listing and Japan Football Association match page agree on 4–1; the original figure came from a conflicting secondary report. The original publication date remains 4 November 2026.