England U20 Women's World Cup Boycott: Squad Deadline Looms

England U20 Women's World Cup Boycott: Squad Deadline Looms

Lydia Bedford was sitting in a London theatre when her phone rang. Her father was calling out of the blue to ask if she'd seen the news that UEFA was threatening to boycott the tournament her England Under-20 squad is preparing for, according to BBC Sport.

That tournament is the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup, running 5-27 September in Poland. The England U20 Women's World Cup boycott threat from UEFA means Bedford must name her final squad next week while the FA has not confirmed whether England will participate, BBC Sport reported. Poland's tournament is the first tournament that could be affected by UEFA's stance, according to the same report.

Bedford's preparation and the England U20 Women's World Cup squad deadline

Bedford, who was appointed England's Under-23 head coach three months before the boycott dispute began and leads the Young Lionesses at this tournament, says the FA's instructions haven't shifted since the threat surfaced. "From my perspective the message from leadership all along has been 'just continue as usual' so we have," she told BBC Sport.

She said the situation hasn't been discussed at length with players, since training time is going toward getting the team match-ready rather than talking through a decision that rests with the FA. "It's not something we've really even spoken to the players about because ultimately every opportunity we have to get on the grass and prepare this team we want to be in the best position possible," she said, according to the same report.

On the pitch, England beat Portugal 2-0 in a friendly in Lisbon last Thursday. Bedford praised the group's "quality and depth" shown "from start to finish," per BBC Sport.

None of that changes what's still unresolved. Bedford has to confirm her squad next week regardless of whether the FA has settled its participation decision, calling it "an incredibly difficult decision to make next week to pick the team that finally goes."

The two conditions behind UEFA's boycott of the Women's World Cup

The dispute traces back to a proposal from FIFA president Gianni Infantino to sell minority stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors. UEFA and its 55 member associations voted unanimously to withdraw from FIFA competitions over the plan, Al Jazeera reported.

UEFA's statement laid out two specific conditions for ending the boycott: the investment proposal had to be withdrawn, and FIFA had to guarantee such a plan wouldn't be brought back. "These conditions have not been met," the group said, according to Al Jazeera.

FIFA has since scrapped the privatization plan and Infantino apologized for how it was handled. But UEFA said the apology "changes nothing," since the second condition, a guarantee against any repeat attempt, still hadn't been satisfied, ESPN reported. UEFA also reiterated that it has "lost confidence" in Infantino's presidency.

The joint letter from the AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA also raised concerns about a FIFA leadership meeting held in Morocco, describing it as excluding FIFA Council members and member associations entirely, with only FIFA-employed senior staff present, according to the letter posted on UEFA's official site. UEFA separately confirmed it had sent FIFA a formal "document preservation letter," a step Al Jazeera's report explained is typically used to keep potential evidence intact for ongoing or future legal action.

The standoff isn't limited to youth football. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all due to play FIFA World Cup qualifying play-offs in October, ESPN reported, meaning Poland's tournament is being treated as the opening test of a much broader boycott rather than an isolated dispute.

Where England U20 Women's World Cup entry currently stands

Six European nations are entered in Poland: England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and the hosts. As of this week, none had told Poland they were withdrawing, BBC Sport reported.

The Polish Football Association (PZPN) says it has received no withdrawal notices and expects the situation to "be resolved swiftly," calling the tournament "an important milestone" for the players involved, per the same report. England's FA still hasn't confirmed whether it will send a team, and Bedford's squad selection is continuing while that decision remains open.

Poland midfielder Weronika Arasniewicz put the players' view plainly. "Don't do it. Let the football be there. Let's enjoy football," she told BBC Sport, adding that cancellation would sting personally, since "you don't know how many World Cups you have ahead of you."

Competing positions: Bronze, Nandy and Bedford

Bronze and Nandy have taken different positions on whether the boycott should extend to a youth tournament. England defender Lucy Bronze said boycotting FIFA competitions is the right call for the good of the game, even accepting what it might cost current players. "It's for the future of the game and not just for me today and tomorrow. It's for all the little girls or little boys who come after us," she told ESPN.

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy wants to see a change in FIFA's leadership but stops short of backing a boycott of the U20 tournament specifically, arguing sporting boycotts "unfairly penalise athletes and competitors" who had no role in creating the dispute, according to BBC Sport. She also warned against penalising "women and girls" at a moment when the women's game is "going from strength to strength," the same report said.

Asked directly about Bronze's comments, Bedford kept her answer narrow to her own job. "My only focus is preparing this team to be ready and if we have the opportunity to go to Poland we will be there and punching when we arrive," she told BBC Sport.

Here's where things actually stand: the tournament dates and six European entrants are confirmed, no entrant has filed a withdrawal with Poland, and England's participation has not been confirmed by the FA. Bedford names her squad next week regardless. Whether any of the six nations submits a formal withdrawal before the tournament opens on 5 September is the detail that will settle this, and until it happens, England's status stays open rather than decided either way.