NEW YORK — Angel Akanyirige and Izzy Weiner of Columbia women’s soccer are set to represent their respective countries at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins Saturday and runs through Sept. 27.
Akanyirige will represent Ghana, while Weiner will suit up for Colombia as the two Lions compete on the international stage at one of the premier youth soccer tournaments in the world.
The 24-team tournament will be played across four host cities in Poland: Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Łódź and Sosnowiec. The field is divided into six groups of four, with the top two teams from each group and the four best third-place finishers advancing to the knockout stage.
Akanyirige and Ghana will compete in Group C alongside France, Korea Republic and Ecuador. The junior forward has appeared in 28 matches over her first two seasons at Columbia, recording two goals and two assists. As a sophomore in 2025, Akanyirige appeared in 15 matches and made six starts for the Lions.
Weiner and Colombia will compete in Group E alongside defending champion Korea DPR, Costa Rica and Portugal. The sophomore midfielder helped Colombia qualify for the World Cup earlier this year at the CONMEBOL U-20 Women’s Championship.
This will mark Weiner’s second appearance on the World Cup stage after previously representing Colombia at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup prior to arriving at Columbia. As a first-year in 2025, Weiner appeared in 15 of Columbia’s 16 matches and made three starts.
For the complete FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup schedule and additional tournament information such as how to watch and follow, click HERE.
For the latest on the Columbia women’s soccer program, follow @CULionsWSOC on X, Instagram, Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.