England Women U20s squad named amid boycott threat

What the report says

England Women’s U20 manager Lydia Bedford has named a 21-player squad for the upcoming FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, with the tournament taking place from 5 to 27 September. The announcement comes as European nations continue to weigh a possible boycott of FIFA competitions following the controversy over the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

BBC Sport reports that the dispute has prompted criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and raised uncertainty around the first major tournament to be played under the boycott threat. Bedford said England have largely kept their focus on preparation rather than discussing the issue with players, stressing that the team has continued to train and play as usual.

England are one of six European teams in the 24-nation event. They are in Group B with Brazil, Tanzania and Canada, and begin against Canada on Saturday, 5 September, in Bielsko-Biala. Italy, Portugal and Poland were expected to name squads later, while Spain had already done so and France had not confirmed a date.

The squad includes several players based in England and abroad, among them North Carolina Courage midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson, who previously received a senior England call-up. BBC Sport says the top two teams in each group, plus the four best third-placed sides, will advance to the last 16, with the final scheduled for Łódź on 27 September.