FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Ahead of the tournament kicking off on Wednesday, the-AFC.com takes a trip down the memory lane of a tournament that Asian teams have thrived in.
Asia to the fore
New Zealand hosted the inaugural edition with DPR Korea, Japan and Korea Republic representing Asia.
Drawn in Group B, DPR Korea opened their campaign with a 1-1 stalemate with Ghana. That was followed by a 2-1 win over Costa Rica with the East Asians finishing with a 1-1 draw with Germany to finish second behind the European side.
Japan were imperious in Group B, defeating the United States (3-2), France (7-1) and Paraguay (7-2) to cruise into the knockout stage.
Korea Republic topped Group D ahead of England on goal difference, with the East Asian side suffering a 2-1 defeat to Nigeria before bouncing back with victories over Brazil (2-1) and England (3-0).
Japan and Korea Republic exited the tournament at the quarter-final stage following defeats to England and the United States respectively.
DPR Korea, however, were unstoppable against Denmark, winning 4-0 and then edging England 2-1 in the semi-finals.
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That set up a final against the United States, with DPR Korea recovering from conceding an own goal in the second minute to hit back through Kim Un-hyang in the 77th minute to push the final to an additional 30 minutes.
Jang Hyon-sun emerged their star, scoring in the 117th minute as DPR Korea became the inaugural champions.
Korea Republic triumph in all-Asian affair
The same three sides were the continent's representatives at the 2010 edition in Trinidad & Tobago, which proved to be hugely successful for Asia.
All three finished runners-up in their respective groups but were in a class of their own in the quarter-finals with DPR Korea edging Germany 1-0, Japan beating Republic of Ireland 2-1 while Korea Republic defeated Nigeria 6-5.
Japan ended DPR Korea's reign with a 2-1 win in the semi-finals while Korea Republic edged Spain by the same score line.
A 1-0 defeat to Spain meant DPR Korea finished fourth while the final was a sizzling affair with both sides taking turns to lead before the match ended 3-3.
Korea Republic proved to be the sharper in the penalty shoot-out, winning 5-4 as the trophy remained in Asia.
Asia's grip loosened
Defending champions Korea Republic were not among the qualifiers, with China PR making their debut as they joined DPR Korea and Japan at the 2012 edition in Azerbaijan.
China PR's campaign ended in the group stage but DPR Korea and Japan won their respective groups to set up quarter-final showdowns with Canada and Ghana respectively.
Japan had to bid farewell at the last eight stage after a 1-0 defeat but Ri Un Sim's brace secured DPR Korea a 2-1 win against Canada and a third consecutive semi-final appearance.
It was Kim So Hyang's turn to shine in the semi-finals, with her two goals giving DPR Korea a 2-1 win against Germany and setting up a final against France.
A late Ri goal forced the final into extra time and a penalty shootout, with the French prevailing 7-6 as the trophy left Asia.
Japan end wait in style
Having seen France wrest the trophy two years earlier, China PR, DPR Korea and Japan were Asia's challengers in the 2014 edition hosted by Costa Rica.
DPR Korea, however, were eliminated at the group stage for the first time while China PR also bid farewell, leaving Japan - who topped Group C with a maximum nine points - to carry the Asian challenge.
Having been denied the title four years earlier by Korea Republic, Japan were not to be stopped as they easily saw off the challenge of Mexico with a 2-0 win in the quarter-finals.
That was followed by an even more impressive 4-1 defeat of Venezuela in the semi-finals to set up a title showdown against Spain.
Japan were never really threatened in the final, with Meika Nishida giving them the lead in the fifth minute while Fuka Kono's 78th minute effort ensured the trophy was returning to Asia for the third time in four editions.
DPR Korea create record
The 2016 edition saw Jordan making their debut as hosts while DPR Korea and Japan took what had become their customary places in the Finals.
While Jordan found the going tough and made a group stage exit, DPR Korea and Japan comfortably topped their respective groups.
Awaiting DPR Korea in the quarter-finals were Ghana with Ja Un Yong's penalty in the fourth minute of added time securing the East Asian side a 2-1 win while Japan enjoyed a serene 3-0 victory over England.
Both Asian sides were in top form in the semi-finals, DPR Korea defeating Venezuela 3-0 with Japan repeating the scoreline against Spain to set up an all-Asian final.
The two sides couldn't be separated after 120 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout with DPR Korea proving clinical from the spot as they walked away 5-4 winners to become the first two-time champions.
Tough times
The 2018 and 2022 editions proved to be tough for Asia with none of the teams making the semi-finals.
Korea Republic exited the 2018 edition at the group stage while DPR Korea and Japan, despite topping their respective groups, were knocked out in the quarter-finals, with both suffering penalty shootout defeats.
The scenario was repeated four years later, with hosts India exiting the tournament at the group stage, as did China PR.
Japan topped their group with nine points but came undone in the quarter-finals as defending champions Spain took a narrow 2-1 win as the European side went on to defend their title.
Hopes are high, however, that Asia's three representatives at the 2024 edition - DPR Korea, Japan and Korea Republic - will bring the trophy back to the continent for the fifth time.
Photos: FIFA via Getty Images
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