Miyu Matsunaga stepped off the bench to score twice for Japan as the 2024 finalists opened their 2026 campaign with a narrow victory against a resolute New Zealand side.
Matsunaga was sent on at the interval with Japan having completely dominated the opening 45 minutes without breaking the deadlock, and needed just four minutes to make her mark, heading home cleverly at the far post from Haruko Suzuki’s cross. .....
Japan 🆚 New Zealand#U20WWC pic.twitter.com/A8Q9l0uCF3
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) September 6, 2026
＞＞READ MORE "AFC Official Site"
![10MA TOPICS! [KOREA FA] [FIFA U-20 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP] Group C: France 1-1 Korea Republic](https://image.eaff.com/index/8961.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [KOREA FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group A: Korea Republic 0-0 Kyrgyz Republic](https://image.eaff.com/index/8960.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [MACAU, CHINA FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group J: Bhutan 7-0 Macau, China](https://image.eaff.com/index/8959.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [CHINESE TAIPEI FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group J: Chinese Taipei 2-0 Singapore](https://image.eaff.com/index/8958.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [JAPAN FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group G: Japan 4-0 Yemen](https://image.eaff.com/index/8957.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [DPR KOREA FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group C: DPR Korea 4-0 Palestine](https://image.eaff.com/index/8956.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [MONGOLIA FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group I: Mongolia 3-0 Guam](https://image.eaff.com/index/8955.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [HONG KONG, CHINA FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group E: Hong Kong, China 0-3 Qatar](https://image.eaff.com/index/8954.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS FA] AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers | Guam vs NMI](https://image.eaff.com/index/8950.jpg)
![10MA TOPICS! [DPR KOREA FA] [AFC U20 ASIAN CUP] Qualifiers - Group C: DPR Korea 2-1 IR Iran](https://image.eaff.com/index/8953.jpg)