FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026: Technical Study Group UnveiledThe FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 is set to begin, with 24 nations completing their preparations for the tournament as a new generation of women’s football stars prepares to take centre stage.

• Team of experts to deliver in-depth insights from all 52 tournament matches

• TSG to include greats of the women’s game

• Poland set to host the world’s best young female talent at FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

The emerging talents competing in Poland will be closely monitored by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG), which will provide detailed technical and tactical analysis throughout the tournament.

The group will assess all matches, identify emerging tactical trends and innovations, and use match data and examples to highlight developments in the women’s game.

The FIFA Technical Study Group will be led by FIFA senior football expert and former Switzerland international goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler.

He will be joined by a panel of experienced figures from women’s football, including:

• Anja Mittag, former German international, FIFA Women’s World Cup winner, Olympic gold medallist and three-time UEFA Women’s Championship winner.

• Gemma Grainger, former head coach of the Wales women’s national team and current head coach of the Norway women’s national team.

Clémentine Touré, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach from Côte d’Ivoire and a prominent figure in African women’s football development.

The TSG will observe matches throughout the tournament, identify tactical trends and innovations, and demonstrate those developments through examples and performance data provided by FIFA’s Football Performance Insights team.

The analysis will subsequently be made available through FIFA Training Centre, a platform designed to provide players and coaches around the world with access to technical and coaching resources.

Members of the Technical Study Group will also be involved in selecting winners of individual awards, including the adidas Golden Ball and adidas Golden Glove.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Zuberbühler said the group brings together experts with different backgrounds and extensive experience.

“For this competition in Poland, we’ve brought together a diverse group of experts with varied backgrounds and extensive experience.”

He added that the TSG was looking forward to analysing the different approaches adopted by teams from across the confederations while maintaining a particular focus on goalkeeping.

“We’re eager to see the variety of playing styles and development approaches across the confederations – and, naturally and as usual, I’ll be paying particularly close attention to the performances of the goalkeepers and their involvement in the game.”

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 will feature 24 national teams competing for the world title.

The tournament will take place from September 5 to 27, 2026, across four Polish host cities: Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Łódź and Sosnowiec.

The 24-team format was introduced at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, expanding the competition from its previous 16-team structure as part of FIFA’s efforts to further develop women’s football globally.

The tournament has historically served as an important launching pad for young players who later become major figures in women’s football.

Among the stars who previously appeared at the competition before establishing themselves at the highest level are Alex Morgan of the United States, Alexandra Popp of Germany and Linda Caicedo of Colombia.

Anja Mittag is one of Germany’s most decorated women’s football forwards.

The former international is a FIFA Women’s World Cup winner, Olympic gold medallist and three-time UEFA Women’s Championship winner.

Mittag said she is particularly interested in analysing the development and creativity of the tournament’s attacking players.

“I’m very much looking forward to the tournament and to witnessing the development of the next generation of players. I’m particularly excited to focus on the offensive side of the game and see how young players express their creativity, make decisions and influence matches.”

Gemma Grainger is an experienced English coach with a background in women’s international and club football.

She previously served as head coach of the Wales women’s national team and currently leads the Norway women’s national team.

Grainger believes the U-20 Women’s World Cup plays an important role in preparing young footballers for the highest level.

“The U20 Women’s World Cup is a really important part of player development. When you look at the history of the tournament and the players who have gone on to the highest level, it shows just how valuable that experience can be, both in terms of performance and the lessons players take forward in their careers.”

She added: “It’s an opportunity for players to develop and test themselves on the world stage, learning from the experience and taking another important step in their development.”

Clémentine Touré has established herself as an influential figure in the development of women’s football in Africa.

The Ivorian coach has served as head coach of the Côte d’Ivoire women’s national team, guiding the side through multiple Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaigns.

She also became the first female coach in Africa to obtain the CAF Pro Licence.

Touré believes the tournament could mark another important moment in the development of women’s football.

“In Poland, when the talent of the FIFA U20 Women’s team combines with ambition, a new page in the history of women’s world football begins to be written.”

Zuberbühler is a former Swiss international goalkeeper who enjoyed an extensive career at the highest level of football.

In his current role as a FIFA Senior Football Expert, he leads technical analysis projects across both men’s and women’s football.

His work focuses on areas including tactical trends, goalkeeper development and the use of performance data in coaching.

As head of the Technical Study Group, he will coordinate the team’s analysis throughout the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026.

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup continues to provide young players with an opportunity to compete against the best emerging talents from around the world.

With 24 nations set to participate in Poland, the 2026 edition is expected to offer another showcase of emerging talent, tactical innovation and the continued growth of women’s football.

The work of FIFA’s Technical Study Group will provide an additional layer of insight into how the next generation of players and teams are developing, with its findings potentially offering valuable lessons for coaches and football development programmes worldwide.