Brazil and China PR meet in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup quarter-finals on 1 November 2026 after both survived penalty shootouts. The round-of-16 comparison requires a correction to the original premise: Nathy and Niu Ziqi each made two shootout saves, according to FIFA. There is no verified basis for crediting Nathy with four saves against Poland.
As of the 30 October check, the quarter-final had not been played. Shootout scores must be kept separate from the results after 90 minutes.
How Brazil and China PR reached the quarter-finals
| Round-of-16 match | Score after 90 minutes | Penalty shootout | Goalkeeper saves in shootout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil v Poland (28 Oct) | 3-3 | Brazil won 8-7 | Nathy: 2 |
| China PR v France (29 Oct) | 0-0 | China PR won 4-3 | Niu Ziqi: 2 |
Brazil drew with Poland after taking the lead, falling behind, going in front again and conceding another equaliser. Greise Kelly, Marcela Bontorim and Pepê scored for Brazil. China PR advanced against France following a goalless match. Both ties went straight to penalties without extra time.
Why Nathy made two saves, not four
In the initial five kicks, Nathy stopped Poland’s first penalty, but Helena missed Brazil’s fifth. The shootout stood at 4-4 and proceeded to four rounds of sudden-death kicks. Indy, Pepê, Greise Kelly and Marcela Bontorim had converted in the initial series; Gigi Pires, Isa Rech, Yasmin Queiroz and Sofia Gamonal scored in sudden death.
In the fourth sudden-death round, on Poland’s ninth attempt, Nathy made her second save to settle the shootout. FIFA identifies two saves across 18 kicks, nine for each team. The CBF report uses wording that can be read as a “fourth save” while describing the final kick, yet its chronology records one stop in the first series and another in the fourth sudden-death round. The distinction is between a fourth sudden-death kick and a supposed fourth goalkeeper save. Independent reporting by Central do Timão also identifies two saves.
The arithmetic is consistent: Poland scored seven of its nine penalties and Nathy stopped the other two. The 8-7 score applies only to the shootout; it does not add 15 goals to the 3-3 draw.
How Niu Ziqi knocked out France
FIFA and the Chinese Football Association report that Niu Ziqi saved the penalties taken by Léa Motyka and Lisa Mabilon, in France’s first and fifth rounds. After a 0-0 draw in normal time, China PR won the shootout 4-3 and reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
Niu also stopped a close-range attempt by Maëlys Ané in the ninth minute. That was a save during open play, not one of the two shootout saves. The goalkeeper comparison alone does not establish which side is stronger ahead of the quarter-final.
Brazil v China PR kick-off: conflicting schedule versions
The match is scheduled for Sunday 1 November 2026 at 15:00 Brasília time (19:00 in Morocco and 02:00 on 2 November in Beijing), on Pitch 3 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex. Brazil’s federation gave the Brasília time in a 29 October report, while the Chinese association published the Beijing time on 30 October.
There is a documented discrepancy: FIFA’s general fixture list published in May shows 18:00 local time for Match 47, one hour earlier than the equivalent of the two federations’ more recent notices. This article therefore uses 15:00 Brasília time based on the later announcements, while acknowledging that the organiser’s schedule should be checked again. Reporting cut-off: 30 October 2026.
Sources and references
- CBF, Brazil v Poland match report (28 Oct 2026)
- FIFA, Nathy and the shootout (28 Oct 2026)
- Central do Timão, penalty sequence report (28 Oct 2026)
- FIFA, round of 16 and China PR v France (29 Oct 2026)
- Chinese Football Association, China PR v France report (30 Oct 2026)
- CBF, Brazil v China PR kick-off notice (29 Oct 2026)
- FIFA, original match schedule published in May 2026
