After helping her home country win the OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) U-19 Women's Championship the last fall, Xavier midfielder Penny Brill is headed to Poland next week to re-join New Zealand's squad for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Brill, a sophomore from Auckland, New Zealand, was called up to New Zealand's U-20 National Team in September 2025, joining the squad for the OFC Championship, which ran from September 21 through October 4, 2025, at Stade de Punaruu and Stade Paea in Tahiti. Brill, part of the 18-member New Zealand squad, helped the team qualify for a 10th consecutive FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup after winning the OFC U-19 Women's Championship title for a ninth-straight time.
"We played in Tahiti for the Oceanic qualifiers. It was a real cool experience. You play against all the top teams in Oceania and we ended up winning, so now we go to the World Cup in Poland."
Brill, back row third from left, with her teammates after
winning the OFC U-19 Championship with New Zealand.
During the Oceanic tournament, New Zealand outscored its opponents 33-0 across five matches. Brill played in all five matches, starting in four, and notched a goal in an 11-0 win over Vanuatu in match play.
For the 2026 World Cup, New Zealand has been placed in Group D, alongside Japan, the United States and Italy. The team will report to a pre-tour camp in Poznań, Poland, on August 24 before entering the FIFA bubble on September 2.
"I feel like not everyone gets this experience, so I really want to make the most of it," said Brill. "My parents are going and friends, and I'm really excited to play against some of the best under-20 girls in the world, so it should be a good experience."
Brill, one of five players on New Zealand's roster playing in NCAA DI, signed to play with Xavier in spring of 2025, joining the Musketeers for the fall 2025 season.
"I made a highlight reel and I went through an agency," said Brill on coming to Xavier. "I talked to a few different coaches, but I ended up falling in love with Xavier. I talked to a few of the girls on the phone and saw the campus and it looked really cool. And then I came and then it was super fun. Everyone was super nice, super welcoming." Brill celebrates her first collegiate goal in Xavier's
BIG EAST Semifinal win over UConn in 2025.
During Brill's freshman season at Xavier, she played in 15 matches, starting in two, and helped the Musketeers to a BIG EAST Championship and an NCAA Tournament win, recording her first career goal in the BIG EAST Championship Semifinal win over UConn.
"My first year at Xavier was an unforgettable experience. We won the BIG EAST Championship, went to the NCAA second round. All the girls, just to play with them is so awesome, so fun."
Xavier head coach Katy Etelman and Brill's teammates are excited to watch her take part in the tournament.
"The program is extremely excited for Penny making the World Cup roster!" said Etelman "She continues to grow as a player and opportunities like this will only make her better. We look forward to cheering her on! Her positive energy will be missed while she's away."
Brill and New Zealand open up play in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup against Japan on September 7, at the Władysław Król Municipal Stadium in Łódź, Poland.
"New Zealand, it's just the best place. Like, you meet the coolest— it's got the coolest people. My family's all there. It's my home. It's just really cool to have the experience of coming here and playing here, meeting everyone as well, and then also being able to go home and everyone's there as well."
