Organisers of the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland say preparations remain on track, even as European football's governing body maintains its threat to boycott Fifa competitions in protest against president Gianni Infantino.
The tournament, set to run from September 5 to 27, is shaping up to be the first Fifa event held since all 55 Uefa member associations voted unanimously to back a boycott of Fifa competitions. The dispute stems from Infantino's proposal—later withdrawn—to sell a 20 percent stake in the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors in a bid to raise around $4.2 billion. That plan sparked a serious governance rift between Fifa and European football authorities.
Despite the tension at the top of the sport, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) insisted the Under-20 competition is moving forward as planned. "Preparations for the Fifa U-20 Women's World Cup are progressing according to the agreed schedule and have now entered their final stage," the federation said in a statement to Reuters.
PZPN added that no participating nation has signalled an intention to withdraw. "The Polish Football Association (PZPN) has not received any information regarding the possible withdrawal of any participating team from the tournament. We believe that the current situation will be resolved swiftly," the statement continued, stressing the significance of the event for the young athletes involved. "For many of these young players, this tournament represents an important milestone in their sporting careers, and we remain fully focused on delivering an event worthy of their talent and commitment."
Several nations have already confirmed their participation in the 24-team tournament. France was the first to do so, with its federation stating, "For now, France will be participating to the Fifa U20 Women World Cup." New Zealand followed suit, with a spokesperson for New Zealand Football telling Reuters, "New Zealand Football is sending a team to the U20 Fifa Women's World Cup in Poland next month. The tournament is critical in the development for the women's game."
Other major federations have been less forthcoming. England's FA and Canada Soccer declined to comment on their plans, while the United States is expected to take part, though US Soccer also declined to comment when approached.
Meanwhile, Uefa has shown no sign of softening its stance. In a statement issued last week, the European body reaffirmed its position: "Uefa's associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non participation in Fifa competitions. These conditions have not been met. In addition, Uefa made it abundantly clear in its statement on (July 30) that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino's presidency. That position holds."
Behind the scenes, there are indications that the standoff could lead to broader consequences. A source familiar with discussions between football confederations over the weekend suggested that talks about potential alternative tournaments might eventually become necessary, though no such discussions have taken place yet. "Those talks have not yet been had and it is hoped they will not be necessary," the source said.
Should the dispute escalate, women's football appears most likely to bear the brunt of the fallout. Beyond the Under-20 tournament in Poland, Fifa is scheduled to stage the Under-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco this October. Several European nations, including World Cup runners-up England, also have qualifiers lined up for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, adding further uncertainty to how the governance battle between Uefa and Fifa might play out across the women's game in the months ahead.
Based on reporting from The Independent.