Canada falls 6-2 to Brazil in U-17 Women’s World Cup opener
Photo: Canada Soccer
Canada opened the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a 6-2 defeat to Brazil on Sunday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco. Despite goals from Reed Tingley and Chloe Scicchitano, the Canadians were unable to contain Brazil’s second-half attack, conceding four unanswered goals after the match was tied 2-2.
Canada made a promising start when Tingley headed home in the fourth minute, giving her team an early advantage. Her goal, scored after just three minutes and 44 seconds, was Canada’s second-fastest at the tournament across the last five editions. Brazil responded shortly before halftime through Helena, who equalized in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Canada responds before Brazil takes control
Brazil took the lead immediately after the restart, with Nicolly Manuel scoring in the 46th minute. Canada answered four minutes later when Scicchitano connected on a volley to make it 2-2, keeping the Canadians firmly in contention.
The turning point came in the 56th minute when Marcelinha restored Brazil’s advantage with a header. Greise Kelly then scored twice, in the 63rd and 72nd minutes, before Pepê completed the scoring in second-half stoppage time. Kelly was named Player of the Match following her two-goal performance.
Although the final score reflected Brazil’s dominance in the closing stages, Canada created opportunities throughout the match. The Canadians registered 10 shots on target, the most by a losing team in a single match across the last five editions of the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Both Canadian goals also came from corner-kick situations, extending the team’s total to 10 goals from corners in the competition since 2018. It was Canada’s first match with multiple goals from corners since facing Samoa in the previous edition.
Canada faces Norway next in Group C
The defeat leaves Canada without points after its opening Group C fixture, making Wednesday’s match against Norway particularly important.
While the Canadians demonstrated their attacking potential against Brazil, particularly through Tingley’s early goal and Scicchitano’s equalizer, defensive consistency will be a priority heading into their second match.
Brazil, meanwhile, opened the tournament with three points and moved to the top of Group C ahead of its October 21 meeting with Ghana.
Canada will face Norway at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, looking to recover from its opening defeat and remain in contention for a place in the knockout stage.
