Maybe Kaylee Hunter knew Casey Stoney was watching. Maybe she didn’t, but in any event, the AFC Toronto forward put on a show for the senior team manager who was sitting in the stands in Canada’s 3-1 triumph over France in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
The 18-year-old Calgary native bagged a hat-trick to power Canada to the upset. With the win, Canada is now the only CONCACAF side left standing in the tournament. Cindy Tye’s team now meets North Korea in the quarters on Sunday.
In reaching the final eight, Canada has already matched its best-ever finish at the tournament, which came back in 2014. Many of the players on that 2014 team became fixtures for the senior side, including Kailen Sheridan, Ashley Lawrence, Quinn, Kadeisha Buchanan, Janine Sonis (née Beckie) and current captain, Jessie Fleming. That tournament was hosted in Canada.
What was remarkable about Hunter’s hat-trick on Wednesday is that it came on her first three shots on goal. Hunter, who made her senior debut earlier this year, opened the scoring in the 28th with a golazo. From over 20 yards out, Hunter unleashed a thumping right-footed volley into the top corner.
Five minutes later, she had a second. Taking a ball over the top from Janet Okeke, Hunter chested the ball down, threw off her marker and struck with aplomb from just outside the goal area to make it 2-0 in the 33rd. It was another fine finish.
Hunter completed her hat-trick in the 70th. Okeke started the play again deep in the Canada have with a ball forward into midfield. Sariyah Bailey did well to redirect the ball to meet Hunter’s run. Hunter then sprinted at goal, maneuvered around France goalkeeper Alyssa Fernandes and slotted home into the empty net to make it 3-0. France would add a late consolation goal, but the beating was thorough.
That Hunter has four goals in this tournament won’t come as a surprise to anybody who has seen her play over the past two seasons in the Northern Super League. Following a 14-goal performance for AFC Toronto last season, Hunter has nine goals in 2026. She trails Jessica De Filippo of the Vancouver Rise and the Montreal Roses’ Elyse Bennett by two goals in the Golden Boot race.
But Hunter isn’t the only player making a difference offensively for Canada. Coquitlam, B.C.’s Jeneva Hernandez Gray leads the tournament with four assists. The 19-year-old midfielder, who has one senior cap, is in her second season in Portugal with Sporting.
Canada’s opponents on Sunday, North Korea, will be the team’s biggest test to date. The North Koreans are the defending champions and have won the tournament three times, a joint record. After an undefeated group stage that saw them outscore their opposition 9-0, North Korea dispatched Japan in the Round of 16 by a score of 2-0.
The winners of Sunday’s match will move on to the semis to take on the winner of Nigeria, 3-0 upset winners over England in the Round of 16, and Colombia, who eliminated hosts Poland, a match also set for Sunday. Canada’s potential final four match would come on Wednesday.
