UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has called for women's football to be shielded from the fallout of a possible Uefa boycott of Fifa competitions, amid uncertainty over whether European nations will send teams to next month's Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland.
Uefa and its 55 member associations have threatened to withdraw from Fifa events in protest at plans by Fifa president Gianni Infantino to sell off stakes in the men's World Cup. The dispute has cast doubt over the participation of several European countries in the youth tournament, which is scheduled to run in Poland from 5 to 27 September.
Nandy stressed that young female footballers should not be caught in the crossfire of a governance dispute between the sport's governing bodies. Her comments come as speculation grows over which nations might ultimately pull out of the competition, with England, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France all set to compete alongside the host nation.
Despite the threat of a wider boycott, Poland's football federation, the PZPN, said it had received no formal indication that any team intends to withdraw. In a statement to BBC Sport, the PZPN said it had