At just 16, Nigeria’s Oluebube Umejiaku has earned a place among the standout performers of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after claiming the tournament’s Golden Ball award in Morocco.
The Heartland Queens FC forward received the honour on Saturday following the Flamingos’ 2-1 victory over Japan in the final, which secured Nigeria’s first title in the competition.
Umejiaku scored four goals during the tournament, including the decisive strike against Japan, to finish ahead of North Korea’s Yu Jong-hyang, who won the Silver Ball, and Japan’s Fuki Ito, recipient of the Bronze Ball.
FIFA described the Nigerian as an “electric forward” and the “star of the show” in the final, highlighting her contribution to the country’s historic achievement.
Her emergence as the competition’s best player was particularly notable because she began Nigeria’s campaign as a substitute.
She came off the bench to score against Poland in the opening match, although the Flamingos suffered a 2-1 defeat.
The striker subsequently became an important part of the team’s attacking options, finding the net against North Korea, Mexico and Japan as Nigeria recovered from the setback to win the tournament.
Her goal in the final proved decisive, helping Nigeria become the first African nation to lift the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy.
Speaking after the victory, Umejiaku said she had consistently prayed for an opportunity to make an impact at the competition.
“Every time I went to training and every time I slept, I told God that I’m praying for all the people that are starting. But when I wanted to start, I just told God that it is my time,” she told FIFA.
She also recalled how the opening defeat to Poland prompted the players to approach their remaining fixtures with greater determination.
“When we lost the first game against Poland, everybody said we needed to wake up because we didn’t come here to look at anybody’s face and we have to take every game as a final. We don’t downgrade anything; we play and we put all our best into every game,” she added.
Beyond her four goals, Umejiaku collected several Player of the Match awards during the tournament, including recognition for her performance in the final.
Her Golden Ball was one of several individual prizes presented at the closing ceremony in Rabat on Saturday.
The United States’ Maddie DiMaria claimed the Golden Boot after scoring a record 12 goals, while North Korea’s Kim Son-gyong received the Golden Glove for her goalkeeping displays.
Yu Jong-hyang of North Korea took the Silver Ball, Japan’s Fuki Ito secured the Bronze Ball, while Japan won the FIFA Fair Play Trophy.
Umejiaku’s achievement followed another success with the Flamingos, having been part of the squad that won the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Cup in September.
Nigeria’s victory in Morocco also marked a significant milestone for African football, as the country became the first from the continent to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the first African nation to claim a FIFA women’s tournament title.
The triumph further extended Nigeria’s record of winning at least one FIFA U-17 World Cup title in five consecutive decades, through the country’s male and female teams.
