In Poland, where Spain’s young women have again carried their football deep into a world tournament, Pau Comendador is approaching a final that reaches back two years. On Sunday, the Madrid-born forward will meet North Korea in the Under-20 World Cup final, offered a return fixture against the side that beat Spain on penalties in the 2024 Under-17 World Cup final in the Dominican Republic.
Key takeaways
- Comendador leads the Under-20 World Cup scoring chart with six goals for Spain.
- Her strike in the semi-final against Italy made the score 2-0 and secured Spain’s place in the final.
- Spain will face North Korea, who overcame them in the 2024 Under-17 World Cup final after a shoot-out.
- Comendador missed one of Spain’s penalties in that earlier final, despite finishing the tournament with the Golden Boot.
- The Real Madrid forward has already won the European Under-19 Championship twice with Spain.
A forward finding her moment in Poland
Comendador has been the defining attacking presence of Spain’s campaign. She scored twice against New Caledonia, added another double against China, found the net against Brazil and then struck once more against Italy in the last four. Those goals have come across four matches and taken her to six for the competition.
Her pace in open ground, willingness to run beyond defences and sharp finishing have made her Spain’s principal scorer in Poland. The goal against Italy was particularly significant: it established a two-goal advantage in the semi-final and sent Spain into another global final.
The tournament is the latest stage in a rapid rise for a player born in Madrid on 12 January 2007. She began playing football as a child with her brothers near the family home. At eight, she was spotted by a Madrid CFF player living nearby, who alerted the club.
Comendador spent seven years at Madrid CFF before joining Real Madrid in 2021, aged 14. Her route through the club’s academy took in the Cadete, Juvenil and Real Madrid B sides, with league titles at each level, before she made her senior debut at 16.
North Korea and an unfinished final
The final brings an unusually personal edge. At the Under-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic in 2024, Comendador scored five times to claim the Golden Boot and was awarded the Silver Ball. Spain reached the final but lost to North Korea following penalties. Comendador took a spot-kick and did not score.
Two years on, she returns to a World Cup final as a more experienced player, with two Under-19 European titles and the status of the current Under-20 tournament’s leading scorer. North Korea stand in the way once more.
Her story also reflects the continuity in Spain’s women’s youth ranks, where successes at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-20 level have produced a steady stream of players moving through the national-team age groups. Comendador has become one of the central figures in that group alongside Celia Segura, Alba Cerrato, Marisa García and Daniela Agote.
For Spain, Sunday is a chance to add another youth-world title. For Comendador, it is an opportunity to replace the memory of a missed penalty with a different ending on the international stage.
