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China's run at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup ended in the round of 16 on Wednesday after a 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to Italy following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Sosnowiec, Poland.
Italy enjoyed more possession early and took the lead in the 34th minute through Karen Appiah. China looked to respond on the counterattack but went into halftime a goal down.
China increased the pressure after the restart and leveled in the 73rd minute when Wang Dantong sent a looping effort from outside the area that goalkeeper Elena Belli failed to hold. The goal was officially recorded as an own goal.
Neither side found a winner in the remainder of normal time or during the 30 minutes of extra time, sending the match to penalties. Italy converted all five of its kicks, while China missed its fifth attempt, allowing the European side to advance to the quarterfinals.
China captain and goalkeeper Liu Chen said the team should be encouraged by its fighting spirit.
"We need to go back and look at where we fell short," Liu said. "To equalize and take the match to a penalty shootout, we already did very well. There is still plenty of room for us to improve."
Head coach Wang Jun said the performance showed progress for Chinese women's football, contrasting it with the senior team's 2-0 round-of-16 defeat to Italy at the 2019 World Cup.
"After 40 days of player selection and training, followed by the tournament, I think these players have given everything," Wang said. "By facing teams from different continents, we showed the positive and enterprising side of Chinese women's football. There may still be a gap in quality, but we can take things step by step. This tournament is a sign that we are starting to fight back."
In other round-of-16 action on Wednesday, Brazil beat the United States 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time, Spain defeated Portugal 2-0, and South Korea edged Argentina 1-0.
Brazil will face Spain in the quarterfinals, while Italy meets South Korea.
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