England have named their squad for the Women’s Under-20 World Cup, despite the threat of a European boycott still hanging over the tournament.
The event is due to kick off on Sep. 5 with hosts Poland taking on Argentina but risks being the first FIFA tournament where European teams refuse to participate amid UEFA’s row with the global governing body over president Gianni Infantino’s plan to invite private investment in a company to run the World Cup.
The Football Association is treating preparations for the tournament as ‘business as usual,’ with coach Lydia Bedford’s under-20 squad due to convene at St. George’s Park early next week.
The Polish federation (PZPN) has also indicated to the Press Association that nothing has changed in its planning, but the threat of a boycott has not been lifted.
Infantino announced on Aug. 1 that the World Cup private investor plan had been withdrawn, fulfilling one of UEFA’s conditions to lift the boycott, but UEFA’s statement on July 30 confirmed there is a second condition — that “binding assurances” be given FIFA “will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”
That second condition is understood not to have been met to date. The situation is a delicate one, with UEFA and its member associations conscious on the one hand that a boycott will be a huge disappointment to the young women set to be involved in the tournament, but on the other hand that allowing teams to play without conditions having been met would look like it had backed down to FIFA.
Elsewhere, UEFA is ramping up the pressure on FIFA and Infantino by holding talks over an expanded Nations League which would involve non-European teams.
PA understands, as per an initial report in The Guardian, European football’s governing body is in discussions with CONCACAF, the confederation which represents the nations of North and Central America plus the Caribbean.
The talks could lead to an expansion of the Nations League as early as the 2028-29 edition, sources have indicated.
The discussions are a further indication of UEFA and CONCACAF working together on pan-continental competitions to the exclusion of FIFA, with their presidents, Aleksander Ceferin and Victor Montagliani, both understood to be of the view that Infantino should resign and leave his position with dignity, rather than challenge for re-election.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is also believed to be involved in the Nations League talks, but with a view to joining at a later point.
The tournament with the addition of CONCACAF nations would not occupy any extra space in the international calendar, with the league phase running across the autumn 2028 windows and the finals taking place in March and June of the following year.
The three confederations are also understood to be discussing the possibility of calling a vote of no confidence in Infantino.
– Premier League chief Masters: FIFA has hit ‘self-destruct button’
– Norway FA chief slams Infantino’s FIFA for firing COO in ‘management by fear’
– Scotland FA latest to withdraw support for FIFA’s Gianni Infantino
Meanwhile, Infantino is currently expected to attend a youth football event in the Dominican Republic this weekend, which would give him an opportunity to try to shore up support among CONCACAF’s Caribbean nations. Some have already publicly expressed their support — such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda.
PA understands there was a long-standing invitation for Infantino to attend, sent prior to the emergence of the private investor scandal.
Should he attend, it would likely bring him face to face with CONCACAF president Montagliani, who many observers see as a potential challenger for the FIFA presidency.
