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South Korea’s U-20 women draw 1-1 with France in World Cup opener

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korea drew 1-1 with France in their opening Group C match at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Sosnowiec, Poland.
  • Cho Hye-young put South Korea ahead in the 12th minute before Naolia Traore equalized for France in the 36th.
  • The result left South Korea and France joint second in Group C, while Ecuador moved top after beating Ghana 3-0.

South Korea began its 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against France, one of the stronger teams in Group C.

Cho Hye-young of Korea University gave South Korea the lead around the 12th minute in Sosnowiec, Poland. She broke behind the defense on the flank and fired with her right foot. The shot deflected off a French defender before looping into the far side of the goal.

France responded in the 36th minute. Naolia Traore struck a low, fast shot from near the edge of the goal area and found the corner, restoring parity. Neither side added another goal, and the match ended level.

South Korea and France sit joint second in Group C after the opening round. Ecuador leads the group after a 3-0 victory over Ghana. The tournament features 24 teams in six groups, with the top two teams in each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the round of 16.

The draw against France has improved South Korea’s prospects of reaching the knockout stage. The team’s best result at the tournament remains a third-place finish in 2010.

About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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