Fifa president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny as a potential boycott looms over three upcoming women's football events: September's Women's Under-20 World Cup, the Women's Under-17 World Cup starting in October, and that month's senior World Cup qualifying playoffs for next summer's tournament in Brazil.
The controversy centers on the now-abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, a plan to sell a stake in Fifa tournaments that reportedly contained only a single token reference to women's football across its 25-page pitch document. That revelation has fueled anger among figures in the women's game who see it as symptomatic of deeper structural neglect.
England defender Lucy Bronze has publicly backed the idea of a boycott, stating she supports the action "for the good of the game." Her comments have added weight to a movement that some within women's football have been discussing privately, weighing the risk of disrupting young players' development against the potential to force meaningful reform at football's governing body.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy waded into the debate this week, telling the BBC that Infantino "should go" while stopping short of endorsing a boycott of the Under-20 tournament. Nandy explained she is "not generally in favour of sporting boycotts full stop – because they unfairly penalise athletes and competitors who are not responsible for the reason that these boycotts take place."
The governance imbalance at Fifa has drawn particular criticism. Of the organization's 37-member council, only eight are women, while just two women sit among the 18 members of Fifa's disciplinary committee. All ten members of Fifa's Future of Football committee are men. Financial disparities remain stark too — the 2023 Women's World Cup offered a total prize pool of $110 million, compared to approximately $871 million distributed at this summer's men's World Cup.
Infantino's position received mixed signals on Friday. The Oceania Football Confederation reaffirmed its support for the president, but New Zealand — one of Oceania's most prominent members and co-host of the last Women's World Cup — withdrew its backing, instead calling for "stronger governance, accountability and transparency" within Fifa.
The timing of these developments coincided with a feature published on Fifa's own website Thursday, titled "Europe's finest hours at the Under-20 Women's World Cup," which celebrated past breakout performances from stars such as Spain's Salma Paralluelo in 2022 and Germany's Alexandra Popp in 2010. Six European nations, including tournament hosts Poland, are set to compete in next month's edition.
This is not the first time Infantino has faced criticism over his handling of women's football issues. Three years ago in Sydney, ahead of the Women's World Cup final, he delivered a speech urging women to "pick the right battles" and push at what he described as open doors with men and Fifa — remarks widely viewed as patronizing at the time and which have resurfaced amid the current controversy.
Despite the criticism, observers note that women's football has seen genuine progress under Infantino's leadership since 2016, including improved player and coaching provisions at major tournaments and substantial growth in financial investment, even if starting from a historically low baseline. Many figures within the women's game reportedly continue to support Infantino while acknowledging significant work remains.
As North Korea, the reigning champions from the 2024 tournament, prepare to defend their title, the football world awaits clarity on whether nations will follow through on boycott threats — a decision that could reshape not just the Under-20 World Cup, but the broader conversation about power and representation in women's football governance.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.