Young Tigresses' FIFA U17 Dream Ends with Loss Against China PR

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 12 May 2026

• India’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup dream ended with a 0-3 loss to China PR
• Young Tigresses made history by reaching the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup quarter-finals for the first time
• Coach Pamela Conti praised the team’s spirit and growth despite the heartbreak

Players shed tears, collapsed in silence and lay on the ground at the Suzhou Sports Centre Stadium after the final whistle, as it marked the end of a historic journey of India's Young Tigresses.

Indian defending U17 World Cup squad suffered a 0-3 loss to host China PR in the quarter final of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2026 on Monday to deny them the dream of qualification for the tournament.Indian squad's bid to become the first team to reach the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup came to an end as they lost a quarter final match to host China PR in the Asian Cup on Monday.

“It is hard for me to speak because we did not expect this result,” India defender Abhista Basnett said after the match.                                                               

We went into the match with a different mindset but football is like that at times. I am happy and proud of how we performed through the tournament and the unity that we had as a team.

Even though the loss was devastating, the campaign was the best-ever for India in the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup with the Young Tigresses being the first Indian team to reach the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup.

Head coach Pamela Conti said China was the superior team, but was disappointed about the timing of the goals India allowed.

“It was a match where China was superior to us. They had more strength and deserved to win. But what really frustrates me is that we conceded in the 45th minute and again in the 90th minute.”

A penalty just before half-time evened the score in the 38th minute before China doubled their lead with a stoppage time effort. India fought until the close of the last minute but were defeated yet again in the last minute of regulation time.

However, Conti explained the tournament would be "incredible" for the Indian women's football community as India faced a "top class competition" against a host of teams like China, Japan – semi-finalists – and Australia.

“I think we have to be proud of these players. Personally, I am very proud of the tournament we had. We played against three of the four semi-finalists, including China, at their home.”

It was 4-0 to Lebanon in the group stage and the Indian women's squad had made history after returning to the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup for the first time in 21 years.

The win had put the team close to becoming the first Indian women's team to be eligible for a FIFA World Cup on merits.

To Abhista, 15-year-old, the hurt from the loss was also a tribute to the team's success as a unit in their first year.

“We worked together for a long time, and our bond became like a family. Now we are looking forward to our next journey and to performing even better.”

Conti also underlined the significance of continental exposure, in the context of India having one of the youngest teams in the tournament. There will be 14 players from the current squad who will be available for the next AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup in 2027.

“This is a very young team, and they have a lot to give. But the most important thing is that they now understand the level here.”

The campaign may have been a bitterly disappointing one for the players, but there is a sense of promise within the camp that this is just the start of something great for Indian women's football.

“It is not the end. We just want to keep working harder so that next time we can turn the dream into reality,” Abhista said.