South Korea U-20 women reach World Cup round of 16 after late goals

South Korea’s women’s under-20 soccer team defeated Ecuador 3-2 in Poland to finish second in Group C and advance to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Lee Ha-eun opened the scoring, and after Ecuador equalized, substitutes Park Ju-ha and Kim Min-seo scored two goals in two minutes to restore South Korea’s lead; Ecuador pulled one back late but could not force another equalizer. South Korea finished with four points, behind group winner France, after drawing France and losing to Ghana, while Ecuador and Ghana were eliminated. South Korea will face Argentina on Sept. 16 for a place in the quarterfinals.