Spain head coach David Aznar is looking forward to a positive opening result when his team begins its campaign at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup against Nigeria’s Falconets on Monday.

The Spanish side, who lifted the title in 2018, will face the seven-time African champions at Arena Sosnowiec in what promises to be a highly competitive opening fixture at the tournament in Poland.

Aznar’s squad contains several players with experience from recent youth competitions, including footballers who represented Spain at the 2024 and 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups. That exposure has strengthened his confidence ahead of the meeting with Nigeria.

The Spain coach said his team have high ambitions for the competition and are determined to make a strong impression from the beginning.

“We’re always ambitious. We’re Spain and we want to win everything. We’ll approach the tournament as we always do, with humility and by taking it one game at a time,” Aznar was quoted as saying by FIFA.com.

Spain’s encounter with the Falconets is scheduled for 5pm Nigerian time on Monday.

The fixture will provide an early indication of both teams’ ambitions at Poland 2026, with Nigeria also aiming to begin its title pursuit on a winning note after finishing as runners-up at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010 and 2014.

For Spain, meanwhile, the objective is to build on their reputation as one of the leading nations in the competition and reproduce the success that brought them the championship in 2018.