England Women U20s squad named amid Fifa boycott threat

England Women U20s head coach Lydia Bedford has named her 21-player squad for the upcoming Fifa U20s Women's World Cup in Poland, as the tournament becomes the first Fifa competition threatened by a potential European boycott.

The boycott threat stems from widespread criticism of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which would have created a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the World Cups, with 21% sold to a private investment firm. The plan was abandoned after opposition from several confederations, led by Uefa, which has threatened to boycott all Fifa competitions unless Fifa president Gianni Infantino resigns.

Bedford responds to boycott threat

Speaking to BBC Sport after England's warm-up win in Portugal, Bedford addressed the situation for the first time. She revealed she learned of the controversy while at the theatre in London.

"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," she said.

Bedford added that the squad has not discussed the boycott with players, focusing instead on preparation. "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's group and fixtures

England are one of six European nations in the 24-team tournament, alongside France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and hosts Poland. The young Lionesses are drawn in Group B with Brazil, Tanzania, and Canada, whom they face in their opening match on Saturday, 5 September at 17:00 BST at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała.

England's group stage fixtures are as follows:

• England v Canada – Saturday, 5 September, 17:00 BST – Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
• England v Tanzania – Tuesday, 8 September, 17:00 BST – Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
• England v Brazil – Friday, 11 September, 14:00 BST – Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała

The top two teams from each group advance to the last 16, along with the four best third-placed sides. The final will be held in Łódź on Sunday, 27 September.

Squad announcement and reaction

Bedford named a 21-player squad, which includes North Carolina Courage midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson, who received a surprise call-up to the senior squad in March. Italy, Portugal, and Poland are expected to name their squads next week, while Spain announced theirs on Thursday. France have not yet confirmed a date.

"It's an incredibly exciting moment to name the squad and a huge achievement for every player selected," said Bedford. "We know the level of competition in Poland will be extremely high but we're excited by the prospect of the challenge. 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."

Full England Women U20s squad

Goalkeepers: Eve Annets (Manchester City), Katie Cox (Chelsea, on loan to Nottingham Forest), Kaiya Jota (Stanford University)

Defenders: Ria Bose (West Ham), Sacha Lewis (Manchester City), Rachel Maltby (Aston Villa), Lucy Newell (Manchester United), Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), Zara Shaw (Liverpool), Cecily Wellesley-Smith (Arsenal, on loan to FC Rosengård)

Midfielders: Lola Brown (Chelsea), May Cruft (Rangers), Chloe B. Hylton (Carolina Ascent), Vera Jones (Chelsea, on loan to Watford), Erica Meg Parkinson (North Carolina Courage)

Forwards: Princess Ademiluyi (Gotham FC, on loan to Ipswich Town), Lily Dent (Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan to Sunderland), Jessie Gale (Arsenal, on loan to Newcastle), Eva Hendle (Chelsea, on loan to Rangers), Eleanor Klinger (Stanford University), Lauryn Thompson (North Carolina Courage)