France to play at U20 Women's World Cup despite Uefa boycott threat

France has confirmed it will compete in the Fifa Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, which is scheduled to begin in 29 days, despite Uefa's ongoing threat to boycott the tournament. The French Football Federation (FFF) told BBC Sport that its plans for the competition had not changed: "For now, France will be participating in the Fifa U20 Women World Cup."

The background to the dispute

The standoff stems from Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan, announced in 2026, to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investors. All 55 Uefa member associations voted to boycott Fifa competitions until the proposals were abandoned. Infantino subsequently scrapped the plan and apologised for his errors. However, Uefa issued a statement on Thursday indicating the boycott could still proceed, leaving teams uncertain about their participation.

England's position unclear

While France has publicly committed to participating, England's Football Association was unable to provide a comment when asked by BBC Sport whether the national team would take part. Six European nations — England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and host nation Poland — are scheduled to compete in the tournament, which begins on 5 September.

What is at stake

Women's football faces the most immediate impact if Uefa upholds its stance. Beyond the U20 World Cup, European teams face qualifying campaigns for the Women's World Cup in Brazil in October, as well as an Under-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco. The biggest long-term risk involves the 2027 Women's World Cup, where defending champions Spain and other top European football nations could be absent if the dispute is not resolved.