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Ella Bard Earns Spot on the U.S. U-20 World Cup Roster
August 19, 2026 | Women's Soccer
ATLANTA – University of Louisville women's soccer sophomore Ella Bard has been selected to the United States Under-20 Women's Youth National Team that will compete in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in September.
The Wadsworth, Ohio native is entering her second year with Louisville. In her freshman season, she appeared in 16 matches, starting in seven. Now she's off to a hot start in 2026 after converting a goal on her only shot of the season in the win over IU Indy.
This will mark the fifth time Bard is being called up to a United States national team. Before officially making the roster, she made the U.S. U-20 National Team Camp two times earlier this year. The other two stints have been friendly contests as a part of the U-19 and U-18/U-19 squads respectively.
The sophomore is one of 13 collegiate players to be named to the squad while the remaining eight roster spots are made up of professional players in the National Women's Soccer League.
Bard will miss approximately a month of Louisville's 2026 season while competing with the U.S. U-20 Women's Youth National Team.
From U.S. Soccer:
The U.S. team opens the World Cup on Sunday, Sept. 6 against Italy (Noon ET / 6 p.m. local on FOX Soccer Plus), then faces 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup finalist Japan on Wednesday, Sept. 9 (Noon ET / 6 p.m. local on FS2) and finishes the group stage against New Zealand on Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local on FS1). The U.S. will play its first and second group games at Stadion Miejski LKS Lodz in Lodz and its final group game at Arena Sosnowiec in Sosnowiec. Every match of the tournament will be broadcast in English on the FOX family of networks.
2026 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup
Group D – USA Schedule
The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup features 24 countries divided into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group and the four best third-place finishers will advance to the Round of 16 taking place on Sept. 16 and 17. The quarterfinals will all be played on Sept. 19 and 20 with the semifinals being contested on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Final and Third-Place Match will be held on Sunday, Sept. 26. This is the second time the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup will feature Round of 16 matches. The 52 matches of this tournament will take place at four stadiums and in four cities spanning three metropolitan areas.
The Wadsworth, Ohio native is entering her second year with Louisville. In her freshman season, she appeared in 16 matches, starting in seven. Now she's off to a hot start in 2026 after converting a goal on her only shot of the season in the win over IU Indy.
This will mark the fifth time Bard is being called up to a United States national team. Before officially making the roster, she made the U.S. U-20 National Team Camp two times earlier this year. The other two stints have been friendly contests as a part of the U-19 and U-18/U-19 squads respectively.
The sophomore is one of 13 collegiate players to be named to the squad while the remaining eight roster spots are made up of professional players in the National Women's Soccer League.
Bard will miss approximately a month of Louisville's 2026 season while competing with the U.S. U-20 Women's Youth National Team.
From U.S. Soccer:
The U.S. team opens the World Cup on Sunday, Sept. 6 against Italy (Noon ET / 6 p.m. local on FOX Soccer Plus), then faces 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup finalist Japan on Wednesday, Sept. 9 (Noon ET / 6 p.m. local on FS2) and finishes the group stage against New Zealand on Saturday, Sept. 12 (9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local on FS1). The U.S. will play its first and second group games at Stadion Miejski LKS Lodz in Lodz and its final group game at Arena Sosnowiec in Sosnowiec. Every match of the tournament will be broadcast in English on the FOX family of networks.
2026 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup
Group D – USA Schedule
| Date | Match | Kickoff (ET) | Venue, City | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6 | USA vs. Italy | Noon | Stadion Miejski LKS; Lodz, Poland | FSP |
| Sept. 9 | USA vs. Japan | Noon | Stadion Miejski LKS; Lodz, Poland | FS2 |
| Sept. 12 | USA vs. New Zealand | 9 a.m. | Arena Sosnowiec; Sosnowiec, Poland | FS1 |
The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup features 24 countries divided into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group and the four best third-place finishers will advance to the Round of 16 taking place on Sept. 16 and 17. The quarterfinals will all be played on Sept. 19 and 20 with the semifinals being contested on Wednesday, Sept. 23. The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Final and Third-Place Match will be held on Sunday, Sept. 26. This is the second time the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup will feature Round of 16 matches. The 52 matches of this tournament will take place at four stadiums and in four cities spanning three metropolitan areas.
Players Mentioned
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