Women's Jr World Cup: Penalties & attacking flow set tone as Classification Phase and Challenger Trophy get underway

Japan stunned neighbours South Korea, while New Zealand, Spain, and Chile won their respective matches on the day of the Classification Phase in Santiago, which delivered a varied storyline, ranging from dramatic finishes to dominant attacking displays.

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Uruguay began the day with a thrilling comeback sealed in the shootouts, Japan proved sharper than Korea from the spot, New Zealand produced their highest scoring output of the tournament with doubles from Greer Findlay and Pho Riana, and Spain controlled their match to secure a 3-0 win.

Chile, in one of the moments most warmly received by the home crowd, signed off a 6-1 victory featuring a double from Laura Müller and a high-flow offensive performance.

With all match-ups confirmed, the battle for the world title will begin on Monday as the top eight teams enter the quarterfinal stage: the Netherlands will open against England, the United States meet Belgium, Australia take on China, and Germany close the programme against Argentina.