Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-20 National Team (CANW20) were crowned champions of the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship following a historic 3:2 victory over Mexico in the Final on Sunday 8 June at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The victory marks Canada’s third title in the competition and their first since the 2008 edition.
Facing the reigning champions Mexico in the Final, Canada delivered a confident and composed performance to secure their first Concacaf Women’s U-20 title in 17 years. Goals from Sienna Gibson and Adriana Bianchin were twice matched by Mexico, but a dramatic winner from Annabelle Chukwu in the second half of extra time sealed the historic 3:2 victory for Canada.
“I’m so incredibly proud of this group, they showed tremendous character and unity throughout the tournament. They embraced every challenge, stayed focused on our goals, and earned this championship through grit, talent, and belief in one another,” said Cindy Tye, Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-20 National Team Head Coach.
Canada advanced to the championship match with a historic 1-0 semi-final victory over the United States, as Léa Larouche scored the decisive goal in what was the first-ever semi-final meeting between the two programs in tournament history. The Final marked Canada’s fourth appearance in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship Final and their first since the 2015 edition in Honduras.
Canada opened their tournament with a dominant 7:1 win over Panama, with goals from Annabelle Chukwu (2), Jadea Collin, Jeneva Hernández Gray, Léa Larouche, Stephanie Schoeley, and Liana Tarasco. The team followed up with a 4:1 victory over Nicaragua, showing character after going down to 10 players early in the match. Annabelle Chukwu and Tarasco again found the scoresheet alongside Teegan Melenhorst, while a Nicaragua own goal opened the scoring. Canada fell 4:2 to Mexico in their last group stage match, which saw a goal from Teegan Melenhorst and Annabelle Chukwu.
Annabelle Chukwu finished the competition as Canada’s leading scorer with five goals, while Noelle Henning was named Best Goalkeeper of the tournament. Throughout the competition, the CANW20 squad showcased one of the most dynamic attacking displays, netting a total of 17 goals.
By reaching the semi-finals, Canada secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™, joining fellow Concacaf nations Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States. The global tournament will take place from 5 to 27 September 2026 and feature 24 nations from six confederations.
Marianne Gagné
Women’s National Team Program Communications Manager
Email: mgagne@canadasoccer.com