England manager Lydia Bedford has confirmed her 21-player squad for the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup, with the tournament's future clouded by the threat of a boycott from European football nations.
The unrest stems from criticism of FIFA's Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, a plan that would have established a new company to oversee commercial and ticketing rights across all FIFA competitions, including the World Cups. Under the scheme, 21% of that company would have been sold to a private investment firm. The plan was scrapped following heavy backlash from multiple confederations, with UEFA at the forefront of opposition, going so far as to raise the possibility of pulling out of FIFA events entirely. Some voices have also called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down amid the fallout.
The U20 Women's World Cup, set to be staged in Poland from 5 to 27 September, is the first FIFA tournament to fall under this cloud of uncertainty. Speaking to BBC Sport following a warm-up victory in Portugal, Bedford addressed the situation publicly for the first time, describing how she learned of the escalating row.
"I was actually at the theatre in London when my dad rang me out of the blue and I was like 'what's happening?' From my perspective the message from leadership all along has been 'just continue as usual' so we have," Bedford said. She added that the squad had largely been shielded from the controversy, explaining, "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. So all focus has been on that."
England are among six European nations competing in the 24-team tournament, joined by France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and hosts Poland. Italy, Portugal and Poland are due to reveal their squads in the coming days, while Spain already announced their selection. France's timeline remains unclear.
Bedford's young Lionesses have been drawn into Group B alongside Brazil, Tanzania and Canada, and will begin their campaign against Canada on Saturday, 5 September at 17:00 BST. The top two teams from each group advance automatically to the last 16, with the four best third-placed sides also qualifying. The tournament concludes with the final in Lodz on 27 September.
Among the standout names in the squad is North Carolina Courage midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson, who earned a surprise call-up to the senior England side back in March. Bedford expressed pride in the group she has assembled, calling the squad announcement "an incredibly exciting moment" and "a huge achievement for every player selected."
"We know the level of competition in Poland will be extremely high but we're excited by the prospect of the challenge," she said. "For the 21 players selected, the focus now is on making the most of this opportunity, representing England with pride, and seeing how far we can go."
The squad blends experience from top-flight English clubs with several players currently out on loan gaining valuable senior football, as well as talent based in the United States college system. Goalkeepers Eve Annets, Katie Cox and Kaiya Jota will compete for the number one jersey, while the defensive unit features Ria Bose, Sacha Lewis, Rachel Maltby, Lucy Newell, Chloe Sarwie, Zara Shaw and Cecily Wellesley-Smith. In midfield, Bedford has called upon Lola Brown, May Cruft, Chloe B. Hylton, Vera Jones and Parkinson, while the forward line includes Princess Ademiluyi, Lily Dent, Jessie Gale, Eva Hendle, Eleanor Klinger and Lauryn Thompson.
With the political situation surrounding FIFA still unresolved, attention now turns to whether the tournament will proceed as planned, even as England's preparations continue undisturbed.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.