The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team made history on Monday, opening its 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a record-shattering 17-0 win over Samoa at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, Morocco — the most goals ever scored in any FIFA World Cup match and the largest margin of victory in Women’s World Cup history across all age groups.
U.S. U17 Women’s National Team (Credits: ESPN)
The Maddie DiMaria Show
The night belonged to Maddie DiMaria, who scored an astonishing six goals (2′, 18′, 20′, 30′, 70′, 73′) — becoming the first player ever to score six in a single U-17 Women’s World Cup match and setting four individual tournament records. She opened the scoring after just 62 seconds off a bad clearance and had completed her hat-trick inside 20 minutes.
Loradana Paletta (25′, 37′) and Carolina Reyna (64′, 78′) each scored braces, and ten different American players found the net in total — including Mia Corona, Grace Murray, Amari Manning, Deus Stanislaus, Isa Ortiz, Meila Brewer, and Gianna Hanf. The U.S. registered a staggering 58 shots.
Coach’s Take and What’s Next
Head coach Ciara Crinion said the team wanted a strong start to shake off the nerves of an opener, and the squad delivered exactly that, keeping the goals coming deep into stoppage time.
For Samoa, it was a harsh return to the world stage. The Pacific Islanders are competing at their second straight U-17 World Cup after debuting in 2025, having qualified through the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship. They still have two group-stage chances to respond, facing China PR and Kenya next. China won their opener 3-0 over Kenya in the other Group E fixture.
The U.S. heads into the rest of Group E play with a +17 goal difference and a statement that will echo through the entire tournament.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
