MATCHDAY PREVIEW – The first round of matches in Group D offers up a mouthwatering clash between Nigeria and Germany in what is a rematch of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup finals, both of which were won by the Europeans. Elsewhere, the spotlight will be on Haiti in their maiden appearance at a women's global showpiece tournament at any level.

There will be another heavyweight bout in Group C when USA face Japan in a fixture that has produced many exciting games over the years – such as the senior teams' meetings in the two most recent FIFA Women's World Cup™ finals. The second game in the group will give an indication of whether Spain are able to build on the momentum gained by lifting the European Women's U-19 Championship in 2017.

The games​ Group C: Paraguay-Spain | USA-Japan Group D: Nigeria-Germany | Haiti-China PR

What you need to know

1. Tournament regulars: Nigeria are yet to miss a single edition of the U-20 Women's World Cup, and France 2018 is no exception. They ended their qualifying campaign with a record of five wins, one draw and a goal difference of plus 21, with striker Rasheedat Ajibade scoring in all six matches.

2. Clinical: Germany are another side with proven prowess in front of goal, having found the net 120 times in 44 U-20 Women's World Cup matches to make them the most free-scoring side at these finals. On top of that, the Germans have also posted more victories than any other team (32).

3. Momentum: USA are traditionally among the title contenders in this age group, even if they have not reached the final since 2012. Nevertheless, Jitka Klimkova's charges arrive at the competition full of confidence after winning the four-nation Sud Ladies Cup just two months before the start of France 2018, beating  U-20 Women's World Cup hosts France 3-1, newcomers Haiti 7-0 and three-time champions Germany 3-0.