When Annabelle Chukwu missed a penalty in the 119th minute of the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship final with the scores tied 2-2 apiece, it appeared as if the decider between Canada and Mexico would be heading for a shootout.
Chukwu had other ideas, however. As the clock reached 122 minutes and with the referee about to blow the whistle, the superstar forward dazzled down the touchline before striking the ball from the narrowest of angles into the top corner to seal the regional title for Canada.
Later last June, the 19-year-old made her senior debut for Canada and, after scoring a brace against Zambia in the last month, Chukwu is now dreaming of a place in Casey Stoney's squad for the .
"Annabelle's been great. She's a very exciting young player," Stoney has said of Chukwu. "She's definitely like a rare talent and I think has just got a real special quality. If you're a fan, you'd pay to come and watch her play."
First up for the England-born star, however, is the , which takes place from 5-27 September. Canada, who are seeking their first title after reaching the final in 2002, have been paired with Brazil, England and Tanzania in the group stage.
It promises to be Chukwu's third major global tournament following appearances in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2022™ and the previous edition of the U-20 event in Colombia two years ago.
Ahead of the global showpiece, the Notre Dame forward spoke to FIFA about scoring her first senior goal for Canada, her desire to play professionally in Europe and the benefits of having a twin sister.
Annabelle Chukwu: It was really cool but being the captain, I had already let my team down when I missed a penalty so it was, 'How could I stay engaged and stay present so I can keep fighting until the end?' It wasn't just a testament of my hard work but everyone's... all the hard work that we had put in throughout the 120 minutes.
My mentality is always next action, shake off the last thing and move forward. Especially being a captain, you have to [demonstrate] that to your team-mates so they can do that as well. In that moment, it was, 'How can I help my team even though I felt like I left them down so late in the game?'
It's exciting to face the top players in the world and experience another World Cup at a younger age. Going into my second one, being able to bring in my experience from the previous [tournament] into this one... and it's cool to face different opposition, different styles, different cultures. I'm really excited. I'm moving into a more leadership role so, 'how can I bring the experiences that I've had to help impact the team in a positive way?'
It's definitely different from the youth system, the speed of play is faster and the decision-making has to be quicker. Overall, it has helped me become a better player with the tempo and physicality of the game. It's been a dream so far and being able to play with all these girls I've looked up to and I look forward to continue doing that.
It was a surreal moment. At this age you just hope you can be on the field and get minutes to get experience. But for me it's about proving myself on the field and proving that I can be a valuable asset in the attacking third. It was a dream come true and hopefully the first of many.
I try not to be too future-focused. For me it's about staying present and focusing on what I can do now to continue to get better as a player. It would be amazing if I was able to be selected for that [tournament] but now it's about what can I control to be able to help me gain selection.
It's a very unique experience having someone who can push you. During Covid times, we would be in the basement together training. It's great to have someone who is just as like-minded and as passionate as you and wants to push you and you want to push them. Having a twin sister has really helped me in terms of my competitiveness and drive for the sport. I'm super-lucky to have a twin sister.
For me, I'm not too future-focused. I want to finish college and then go to a team where I can be a central part, get minutes and continue to grow and develop my game. I'd love to play in Europe - I love the culture and the football culture there so we'll see what happens.
Sources: FIFA Official
