U.S. Women Score Record 17-0 Win at U-17 World Cup

The United States women's Under-17 team kicked off their World Cup campaign in Morocco with a performance for the record books. Their 17-0 win over Samoa on Monday marks the largest margin of victory in any 11-a-side World Cup match ever played, topping the previous record of 16-0.

Forward Maddie DiMaria made history within the historic win. She scored six goals in the match, becoming the first player ever to achieve that feat in a World Cup game at any level, surpassing legends like Michelle Akers and Alex Morgan who each scored five in their World Cup appearances.

DiMaria opened scoring just two minutes into the game, setting the tone for what would become an unstoppable performance. Captain Mia Angeline Corona added a second goal off a corner kick in the 12th minute, and the floodgates opened from there.

Ten different U.S. players found the back of the net. Loradana Paletta, a 15-year-old who trains with New York City FC's boys' team, and Carolina Reyna each scored twice.

Carolina's goals carried special significance. She and her brother Gio became the first brother-sister duo to both play and score for the U.S. at World Cup tournaments.

"We're really happy with the result," said U.S. head coach Ciara Crinion. "We wanted to have a good performance, and we felt like we got that and continued to be able to put the ball in the back of the net."

Why This Inspires

This tournament represents more than just one record-breaking game. FIFA recently expanded the women's U-17 World Cup from 16 to 24 teams, creating opportunities for nations like Samoa to compete on the world stage for the first time.

While the score gap was wide, Samoa's participation marks an important milestone. Their presence in Morocco shows how women's soccer continues growing globally, bringing new countries into international competition and inspiring the next generation of players.

The U.S. roster itself tells a story of youth development working. Only two players from last year's team returned, showing the depth of American soccer talent and the pipeline of young women ready to represent their country.

The Americans continue their World Cup journey Thursday against Kenya before facing China on Sunday to close out group play.