U-20 Women’s World Cup Top Scorers: Nigeria’s Winner David and Kareem Join Golden Boot Race

The race for the adidas Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is taking shape after the completion of the group stage, with Argentina’s Annika Paz leading the scoring charts and Nigeria featuring three players among the tournament’s leading scorers.

Paz has scored five goals for Argentina, giving her a one-goal advantage at the top of the standings.

Behind her, Spain’s Pau Comendador and Celia Segura, England’s Rachel Maltby, North Korea’s Choe Yon A and China’s Huang Jiaxin have all scored four goals.

Nigeria have two players on three goals, while another Falconets player has already scored twice.

Kareem and David Lead Nigeria’s Scoring

Ramotalahi Kareem and Winner Onajite David are Nigeria’s leading scorers after the group stage, with three goals each.

Both players completed hat-tricks in Nigeria’s emphatic 10-1 victory over New Caledonia in their final Group F match.

Kareem opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 17th minute and added another goal before half-time. She completed her hat-trick in the 64th minute.

David, meanwhile, came off the bench at half-time and scored Nigeria’s fifth goal in the 60th minute before adding two more to complete her own hat-trick.

It was a remarkable second-half contribution from the substitute, who finished the match with three goals.

Defender Rebecca Adegbemile Also Among Nigeria’s Goalscorers

While Kareem and David have grabbed the headlines, Rebecca Adegbemile has also made her mark on the scoring charts.

Adegbemile, who plays as a defender, has scored two goals at the tournament.

Both came in Nigeria’s 10-1 victory over New Caledonia, with her first arriving in the 19th minute before she completed her brace in the 74th minute.

Her contribution gives Nigeria three players with at least two goals after the group stage.

It is also an indication of how the Falconets spread the scoring responsibility across the team rather than relying exclusively on their forwards.

Current Top Scorers After the Group Stage

The Golden Boot race is currently led by Argentina’s Annika Paz with five goals.

Players on four goals:

Pau Comendador, Spain
Celia Segura, Spain
Rachel Maltby, England
Choe Yon A, North Korea
Huang Jiaxin, China PR

Players on three goals include:

Zuzanna Grzywinska, Poland
Justine Rouquet, France
Kennedy Fuller, United States
Winner Onajite David, Nigeria
Ramotalahi Kareem, Nigeria
Marisa Garcia, Spain
Alex Buck, United States
Annabelle Chukwu, Canada
Romaine Gandonou, Benin

Nigeria’s Rebecca Adegbemile is among the players on two goals.

The tight nature of the standings means the Golden Boot race remains wide open. One strong performance in the knockout stage could dramatically change the order.

Nigeria Have Three Players in the Scoring Conversation

Nigeria scored 10 goals during the group stage, and six came from Kareem and David.

Kareem’s three goals and David’s three-goal haul account for 60 percent of Nigeria’s goals in the tournament so far.

Adegbemile’s two goals take the combined contribution of the three players to eight of Nigeria’s 10 goals.

The other Nigerian scorers are Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei and Tosin Rafiu, who have one goal each.

The numbers underline how quickly Nigeria’s attack came alive in their final group match after failing to score against Spain and China.

Nigeria’s Golden Boot History

Nigeria have a strong history in the individual scoring race at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Asisat Oshoala won the Golden Boot at the 2014 tournament in Canada after scoring seven goals, while also helping Nigeria reach the final.

The Falconets have therefore produced one of the competition’s most notable Golden Boot winners, and the emergence of Kareem and David gives Nigeria another pair of players to watch in 2026. The knockout stage will determine how far they can climb.

England Next for Nigeria

Kareem, David and Adegbemile will now turn their attention away from individual statistics and towards Nigeria’s Round of 16 meeting with England.

The Falconets face England on 17 September, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

England’s Rachel Maltby is already ahead of Nigeria’s two leading scorers with four goals, adding another interesting dimension to the encounter.

For Nigeria, the priority is progression. If the Falconets defeat England, Kareem and David will have another opportunity to add to their three-goal totals, while Adegbemile could continue her unlikely scoring contribution from defence.

With the group stage complete, Argentina’s Annika Paz holds the Golden Boot advantage.

But with the leaders separated by only a few goals and the knockout rounds now beginning, the race is far from decided.

And Nigeria have three players still making their presence felt in the scoring charts.