Report: England WU20s 1-2 Brazil

England women’s under-20s secured progression to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup despite 2-1 defeat to Brazil at the Bielsko-Biala Stadium.

Lily Dent put England ahead in the first half as she turned home at the far post in the final group stage match in Poland.

But Brazil came back in the second half as Clarinha levelled from the spot before Gisele scored the winner in added time.

Despite the late defeat, England finished second in Group B due to a better team conduct score than Canada, who were level on points and goal difference.

Despite a strong start from England on the ball, it was Brazil who showed their threat early on.

Lucy Newell, who started as a late replacement for Cecily Wellesley-Smith, was forced into a brilliantly timed tackle to dispossess Brendha on the edge of the box.

Katie Cox was then well placed to deal with a shot from Nogueira who had found a way in behind a high England line, inside the opening 15 minutes.

But it was England who found the breakthrough on 31 minutes. Rachel Maltby played a swift one-two with Lola Brown before clipping a pinpoint cross through to the onrushing Dent who made no mistake to turn home at the back post.

The opener to put the Young Lionesses 1-0 ahead was all the more impressive for the fact that they had been down a player with Ria Bose receiving treatment at the time.

And having broken the deadlock, England found their chances in front of goal more forthcoming.

Eleanor Klinger twice found herself with opportunities. First, she was unlucky not to connect with a cross at the back post, before cutting inside herself to shoot from inside the box and force the save from Eluiza.

The two teams remained separated by just one goal at half-time, however, with England set to top the group if things remained unchanged in the second period.

Brazil continued to have chances to change that after the break but struggled to muster more than long-range chances in the opening ten minutes, with Cox saving comfortably after Brendha had fired wide from outside the box.

England continued to apply pressure and came centimetres from doubling their lead after a scramble in the box that saw Eluiza just manage to tip the ball away from the line before Maltby could poke it home.

Substitute Evelin looked destined to find the equaliser just before the hour mark as Zara Shaw went to ground, leaving her space to attempt a dinked finish over Cox, but her effort flew just wide of the far post.

But Brazil did put themselves level from the spot on 76 minutes as Clarinha stepped up to deliver a cool chipped finish into the top right corner.

Referee Alyssa Pennington had initially been quick to wave away protests for a foul, but after VAR review it was deemed that Chloe B. Hylton had tripped Brendha in the box.

And Brazil earned their winner in added time as Gisele swapped a one-two with Evelin down the left wing before continuing a brilliant solo run to slot home from a tight angle.

It meant England needed to maintain just a one-goal deficit to remain second in the group and Cox proved equal to a long-range effort from Gisele moments later to do just that.

England WU20s: 1 Katie Cox (Chelsea, on loan to Nottingham Forest); 2 Ria Bose (West Ham), 5 Zara Shaw (Liverpool), 15 Lucy Newell (Manchester United), 3 Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea); 18 Lily Dent (Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan to Sunderland), 4 May Cruft (Rangers), 10 Lola Brown (Chelsea); 7 Eleanor Klinger (Stanford University), 9 Princess Ademiluyi (Gotham FC, on loan to Ipswich Town), 12 Rachel Maltby (Aston Villa)

Substitutes: 14 Chloe B. Hylton (Carolina Ascent) for Cruft 61, 11 Vera Jones (Chelsea, on loan to Watford) for Brown 71, 17 Layla Drury (Manchester United) for Dent 71

Substitutes not used: 13 Kaiya Jota (Stanford University), 21 Eve Annets (Manchester City, on loan to Hibernian), 8 Vivienne Lia (Eintracht Frankfurt), 16 Eva Hendle (Chelsea, on loan to Rangers), 19 Jessie Gale (Arsenal, on loan to Newcastle), 20 Sacha Lewis (Manchester City)

Head coach: Lydia Bedford

Goals: Dent 31

Brazil WU20s: 12 Eluiza; 3 Sofia Couto, 4 Ana Beatriz, 6 Bianca Martins; 5 Emily Lucas, 16 Clarinha, 8 Nogueira, 20 Aninha Regio; 11 Dudinha, 9 Brendha, 15 Giovana Canali

Substitutes: 14 Kaylane Vieira for Lucas 46, 17 Evelin Bonifácio for Canali 46, 10 Vitorinha for Nogueira 46, 2 Thaynara Cristina for Bianca 63, 7 Gisele for Dudinha 81

Substitutes not used: 1 Thaís Lima, 13 Dulce Maria, 18 Carioca, 19 Taina, 21 Ana Morganti

Head coach: Camilla Orlando Santana Veríssimo

Goals: Clarinha 76, Gisele 90+5

Yellow cards: Nogueira 27, Bianca 48