England U-20s manager Lydia Bedford has announced her squad for the forthcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, as European nations continue to consider a boycott.
Calls for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign have grown following controversy over the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The plan was scrapped after heavy criticism from several confederations, led by UEFA, which has warned it could boycott all FIFA competitions. FFE would have created a new company to run commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA events, including the World Cups, with 21% sold to a private investor.
The next FIFA tournament—and the first potentially affected—is the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland from 5 to 27 September.
Speaking to BBC Sport after a warm-up win in Portugal, Bedford addressed the situation for the first time, saying leadership had instructed the team to carry on as normal. She added that staff have focused on preparation rather than discussing the boycott with players.
England are one of six European teams at the 24-nation event, alongside France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and hosts Poland. The Young Lionesses are in Group B with Brazil, Tanzania and Canada, opening against Canada on Saturday, 5 September (17:00 BST).
Italy, Portugal and Poland are expected to announce their squads next week; Spain named theirs on Thursday, while France has not set a date.
Bedford’s 21-player selection includes North Carolina Courage midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson, who earned a surprise senior call-up in March. Bedford said naming the squad is a proud moment, that the level in Poland will be high, and that the group is eager to embrace the challenge, represent England with pride, and push as far as possible.
The top two teams in each group will reach the last 16, along with the four best third-placed sides. The final is scheduled for Sunday, 27 September, in Lodz.