Colombia captain Juana Ortegon says her side has quickly turned its attention to Nigeria’s Falconets after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The South Americans secured their place in the last eight with a narrow 1-0 victory against hosts Poland in a closely fought Round of 16 tie.
The match looked set to go to extra time until Poland conceded an unfortunate late own goal. With only a minute remaining, Mariana Silva delivered a dangerous cross across the face of goal and Poland defender Martyna Bartczak inadvertently turned the ball into her own net.
The result sent Colombia through to a quarter-final meeting with Nigeria on Sunday, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
Ortegon said the victory reflected the determination within the Colombia squad, praising her team-mates for continuing to push until the final moments.
“This team is all about fighting until the end. We always fight and do our best. We never stop trying to go forward, and in the end, we scored,” Ortegon told FIFA.
The Colombia captain acknowledged that Nigeria would present another demanding test, but said her team would remain focused on the next match rather than looking too far ahead in the competition.
“We will play match by match. We are very happy to be in the quarter-finals, so we will think about Nigeria first, but this team will always compete to win. Our dream is to win the world title, but we’re going match by match,” Ortegon added.
Colombia’s win ended Poland’s campaign on home soil and ensured the South Americans advanced after a match in which neither side was able to find a breakthrough during normal play until the decisive late moment.
Nigeria’s Falconets now stand between Colombia and a semi-final place. Ortegon said the squad’s ultimate ambition was to lift the world title, while stressing that the team’s immediate priority was Sunday’s quarter-final.
The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup quarter-final will therefore bring together Colombia, who advanced through a late own goal, and Nigeria, with both teams competing for a place in the final four.