England Under-20s head coach Lydia Bedford says the Football Association has told her to “just continue as usual” as she prepares a squad for next months Under-20 Women’s World Cup, despite a threat from UEFA to boycott FIFA competitions amid an ongoing dispute.
- England U20s coach Lydia Bedford says the FA told her to 'just continue as usual' despite UEFA's boycott threat.
- Bedford prioritises preparing her squad and had not raised the governance dispute with players.
- At the time of reporting, BBC Sport understood no European team had formally withdrawn from the Poland U20 Women's World Cup.
What Bedford said and the immediate reaction
Speaking after a warm-up friendly in Lisbon, Bedford described being taken by surprise when her father phoned her about the developing story and she learned of the potential European boycott. She told BBC Sport that FA leadership have consistently urged the team to focus on preparation and that the coaching staff and players have not made the wider dispute a subject of discussion.
Bedford, who took up responsibility for the Young Lionesses in March and was leading the side in Portugal, said England beat Portugal U20s 2-0 in that friendly and she must now decide the final squad to travel to Poland. She framed her priority as giving the team the best possible preparation and being ready to compete should England attend the tournament.
Context: why UEFA threatened a boycott
The boycott threat follows a broader governance dispute in world football that intensified after reports that FIFA president Gianni Infantino was exploring plans to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors. UEFA and its 55 members responded by warning they could refuse to participate in FIFA tournaments while the proposals were under consideration. BBC Sport reported that the specific proposal known as the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) has since been abandoned, but the boycott warning remained live and the Under-20 Women’s World Cup was identified as the first event that could be affected.
Who would be affected and current status
Bedsfords comments came as six European teams were expected to take part in the Under-20 Women’s World Cup scheduled to run from 527 September in Poland. BBC Sport said it understood none of those six European nations had told Poland they were withdrawing at the time of reporting.
The story illustrates the tension between governance-level disputes and players and coaches preparing for major tournaments: Poland and the participating teams are set to plan for the competition, while national associations and confederations weigh political and institutional responses.
Different views within the game
Reactions inside the game have been mixed. The BBC report noted that some players oppose a boycott on the basis that it would deny players opportunities to compete, with Poland midfielder Weronika Arasniewicz quoted as urging stakeholders not to cancel the tournament and to “enjoy football.” By contrast, it reported that England international Lucy Bronze had said boycotting FIFA competitions could be right “for the good of the game,” indicating players hold differing perspectives.
Bedford said she had not discussed those wider opinions with her squad and remained focused on selection and preparation.
Why this matters for England's U20s and women's football
The Under-20 Women’s World Cup is an important development stage for young international players and provides exposure and high-level competition. A boycott or cancellation would directly affect player pathways and national-team planning. Bedfords position reflects a common tension in football: coaching staff and players often have short-term sporting priorities that can conflict with higher-level political or governance decisions taken by federations and confederations.
What comes next
- England’s coaching staff will finalise the squad for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in the coming week as Bedford selects the team that will travel to Poland, assuming participation proceeds.
- UEFA and its member associations may yet confirm any change to their boycott position; at the time of reporting, BBC Sport understood no European team had formally withdrawn from the Poland tournament.
- National associations and tournament organisers in Poland will monitor communications from UEFA, FIFA and participating nations to determine whether the competition will proceed as scheduled.
Timeline (key facts from reporting)
- March: Lydia Bedford was appointed in the role that includes leading the Young Lionesses at the U20s tournament (as reported by BBC Sport).
- Early August: Reports emerged about FIFA plans to sell stakes in competitions, prompting UEFA and its members to threaten a boycott.
- Early August: The specific FFE proposal was reportedly abandoned, but boycott threats remained; the Under-20 Women’s World Cup (527 September in Poland) was named as an event that could be affected.
- August (post-friendly in Lisbon): Bedford said the FA told her to continue preparing and that she would name her squad the following week after a 2-0 win over Portugal U20s.
Reporting and attribution
This article is based on reporting by BBC Sport, which provided Bedfords comments and the details of the wider dispute between UEFA and FIFA. Where player opinions and the number of European teams expected were referenced, those details come from the same BBC Sport reporting.
What is clear from the available reporting is that Englands U20 coaching camp is proceeding with preparations while the wider institutional disagreement over FIFA proposals continues to unfold. The immediate sporting focus for Bedford and the Young Lionesses is finalising the squad and maintaining training momentum ahead of the scheduled tournament in Poland.