Canada defeated France 2-1 on Saturday to finish top of Group D with its third straight win at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
Melisa Kekic scored for Team Canada, which led 1-0 in the first half at Mohammed VI Soccer Academy Stadium in Salé, Morocco. French defender Ocean Moreau Trachan conceded an own goal in the second half.
Léa Morissin cut the lead to 2-1 in the 63rd minute when France made a late start.
The Canadian's victory was overshadowed by the sending off of substitute Reed Tingley in the 86th minute. A disbelieving Tingley, who scored Canada's second goal, was given a second yellow card by Australian referee Lara Lee for interfering with the French player as she tried to take a throw-in.
Tingley, who came on early in the second half, saw her first yellow card in the 64th minute for a tackle from behind.
The Canadians, who previously beat Nigeria 4-1 and Samoa 6-0, entered the game tied on points with France but ahead on goal difference (plus nine to plus three). Both teams were already guaranteed a spot in the knockout stages, but France needed a win on Saturday to replace Canada at the top of the group.
The top two teams in each of the six groups, plus the top four third-place finishers, advance to the round of 16 of the 24-team tournament, which runs until November 8.
By winning the group, Canada avoided a round of 16 meeting with 2024 runner-up Spain and 2018 and 2022 champions. France (2-1-0) will face Spain (3-0-0), while Canada will face the third-place finisher from Group B, E or F on Wednesday.
Canada's best finish at the tournament was fourth place in 2018. In 2008, 2012 and 2014, she reached the quarterfinals.
Canada took the lead in the 14th minute when Kekic headed home from close range after the French failed to convert a corner.
Stella Grondin went close for France in first-half stoppage time when her volley handcuffed Canadian goalkeeper Khadijah Cissé, but she missed the target at the last moment. Moreau Tranchant had a chance from the corner, but her shot went wide.
Tingley scored the winner in the 53rd minute on a counter-attack, sending in a low cross that Moreau Tranchant lunged into her own net.
Cissé's mistake led to a French goal. Her stray clearance went straight to Luna Labukari, whose cross into the open goal was struck by Morissant when Cissé was out of position.
France outshot Canada 21-8 (7-5 ​​in shots on target) and had eight corners to Canada's one. But it lacked clinical polish.
Canada receives 5 yellow cards
Canada were shown five yellow cards and France two cautions.
Two of those yellow cards came in the first half after a video review: one for Canada's Naomi Lofthouse (for a tackle from behind) and the other for Grondin (for grabbing Kechich by the hair).
The video support system allows coaches to request video review twice per game. If the referee's check results in a change to the original decision, the team retains its request.
Canada coach Jen Hurst continued to rotate her squad, making six changes to her starting lineup.
Canada missed the 2024 FIFA U-17 tournament but has participated in seven previous tournaments. CONCACAF sent only two teams to the 2024 FIFA Championship, with CONCACAF's Dominican Republic hosting the tournament and Canada finishing third in qualifying, losing 2-1 to Mexico in extra time in the semi-finals.
Under interim coach Gary Moody, the young Canadians qualified for the 2025 FIFA tournament in April by undefeated at the top of CONCACAF's qualifying group with victories over Nicaragua (5-0), Panama (2-0) and Puerto Rico (3-2).
France, which won the FIFA Under-17 Championship in 2102, reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship in 2025, losing to eventual champions Netherlands in a penalty shootout.
Defending champions North Korea have won the FIFA U-17 title three times and finished runners-up once, while Spain have reached the final four times, winning twice.
