Laia López from Łódź saves Spain U‑20 women with penalty stops

Spain Under‑20 women retained the world title on Sunday evening thanks to a heroic performance by goalkeeper Laia López, who saved two penalty kicks in the decisive series. The match against North Korea ended goalless in the regular 120 minutes, after which the shoot‑out made the difference.

Penalty saves determine the outcome

Laia López, raised in Lodz (Poland), became the hero of the evening when she refused to let two penalties go in. Both teams had failed to score any goal in the first two halves, causing the match to go to a nerve‑wracking penalty shoot‑out. Thanks to her two saves (19) Spain could secure the title.

Festive reception and reactions

After the victory the Real Federación Española de Fútbol is preparing a big celebration in Madrid for the champions. In a statement Laia López said: "Estaba segura de que iba a parar más de un penalti". Coach David Aznar was praised by Pepe Gil‑Vernet: "Este grupo es irrepetible y se lo merecía". Seven players, including Amaya García, Irune Dorado, Ainoa Gómez, Celia Segura, Alba Cerrato and Pau Comendador, shared the glory.

Penalty shootout seals U20 duel between Spain and North Korea

Spain did concede one goal during the tournament, but could not add an extra goal to the 21 it had scored in the previous six matches. North Korea continued the impressive run of the youth World Cup by scoring sixteen times themselves and not conceding a goal.

The victory confirms the continuation of Spanish dominance in international football, both among men and women. Since 2022 the Spanish women's sides have captured twelve Euro and World Cup titles, while the men have won five.

Laia López leads Spain to the world title after the penalty shootout

The champions will fly to the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas tomorrow morning, where they will be honoured by president Rafael Louzán. The celebration promises to be a highlight in a period that many view as one of the best in Spanish football history.