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Nigeria striker Chinwendu Ihezuo holds the record for most goals in a single match by a player at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Now 27, Ihezuo tops the pile with five goals during Nigeria’s 11-0 annihilation of host nation Azerbaijan at the 2012 edition, Nigeria’s biggest in any FIFA World Cup appearance. The record has previously been held by Germany’s Kyra Malinowski and South Korea’s Yeo Minji, who scored four goals each at the 2010 edition of the tournament.
Ihezuo has now been recognised by FIFA in all-time records, which include the fastest goals, largest margins of victory, and youngest participants ahead of the 2024 edition, which kicks off on October 16 in the Dominican Republic, where Nigeria are lodged in Group A with the host nation, Ecuador, and New Zealand.
Her compatriot, Loveth Ayila, ranks among 18 players with three goals, which she recorded in Nigeria’s 5-0 demolition of Chile at the 2010 edition.
In second position is Spain’s Lorena Navarro, who netted five times in her country’s 6-0 win over Jordan at the 2016 edition, while Yeo Min-Ji of the Korea Republic is third with four goals in their extra-time 6-5 win over Nigeria at the 2010 edition.
Others are Kyra Malinowski (Germany), Rosie White (New Zealand), Hina Sugita (Japan) 3, Ri Un-Sim (Korea DPR) 3, Ri Kyong-Hyang (Korea DPR) 3, Ri Hae-Yon (Korea DPR) 3, Lena Petermann (Germany) 3, Sakura Nojima (Japan) 3, Mai Kyokawa (Japan) 3, Civana Kuhlmann (USA) 3, Chinatsu Kira (Japan) 3, Gabriela Garcia (Venezuela) 3, Lea Declercq (France) 3, Pauline Crammer (France) 3, Hannah Blake (New Zealand) 3, Loveth Ayila (Nigeria) 3, Mukarama Abdulai (Ghana) 3, Kyra Malinowski (Germany) 3, Lorena Navarro (Spain) 3.
Ihezuo has since the time played for Delta Queens F.C., BIIK Kazygurt, where she scored 16 goals in 20 appearances; Henan Jianye, 2021-2022; Meizhou Hakka, Monterrey; and Liga MX Femenil club Pachuca, her current club.
She has also maintained consistent relevance on the international scene, representing Nigeria at the U-20 level before graduating to the senior team, where she has scored once in six appearances since making her debut in 2014.
