England U20s head coach Lydia Bedford has been instructed by the Football Association to press on with preparations for next month’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup and to “just continue as usual”, she told BBC Sport after England’s 2-0 friendly win over Portugal on Thursday.
- The FA has told England U20s coach Lydia Bedford to continue preparing the team as normal ahead of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
- Bedford made the comments after England’s 2-0 friendly win over Portugal — the final warm-up match before the tournament.
- A wider dispute between UEFA and FIFA over proposed private investment led to threats of a European boycott, but the FA’s operational instruction to Bedford remained unchanged.
- Bedford is expected to name her final U20 World Cup squad the week after the Portugal friendly; the tournament is scheduled for 5–27 September in Poland.
What the FA has confirmed to the coach
Bedford, who took up an England coaching role in March and is leading the Young Lionesses into the tournament in Poland, said the FA’s message throughout the recent governance dispute has been for the squad to maintain normal preparations. She made the comments in Portugal following the friendly victory that provided the team’s final match-time before the World Cup.
Context: the wider dispute and the boycott threat
The instruction comes amid a high-profile row in world football linked to plans proposed by FIFA leadership to sell stakes in competitions to private investors. European football’s governing body UEFA and its 55 members announced a threat to boycott FIFA competitions in protest; the proposal known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) was later abandoned earlier this month, but the boycott threat remained in place at the time of Bedford’s remarks.
How England are handling the situation
Bedford said she had not focused on the broader political dispute and that discussions with her players have concentrated on training and match preparation rather than governance issues. The coach emphasised that every on-field opportunity to prepare the squad is being used to try to ensure England are ready if they travel to Poland for the tournament.
On-field preparation
England completed a 2-0 win over Portugal in Lisbon, their final warm-up match before the U20 World Cup. Ava Baker scored from the penalty spot in the first half and Layla Drury added a second late on. Bedford described the performance as showing both quality and squad depth ahead of her final selection decision.
Teams and players in the tournament
BBC Sport reported that six European teams were still expected to take part in the tournament running from 5-27 September, and that as of the report none had informed hosts Poland that they would withdraw. The player reaction to the boycott threat is mixed: some players oppose any boycott because they do not want to miss an international tournament, while others — including an England senior international quoted by BBC Sport — expressed that boycotting FIFA competitions could be “for the good of the game.” Bedford said she had not engaged deeply with those wider viewpoints and remained focused on her squad.
What happens next
Bedford is due to name her final Young Lionesses squad the week after the friendly in Portugal. If England participate, the U20 Women’s World Cup will run in Poland from 5 to 27 September. The FA’s instruction to maintain preparations means the team will continue training camps and selection work in the coming days.
Timeline (from the available evidence)
- March: Lydia Bedford appointed to an England women’s coaching role that includes leading the U20s at the World Cup.
- Earlier in August: FIFA’s FFE proposal and subsequent dispute involving proposed private investment in competitions drew UEFA’s threat of boycott.
- Early August: FFE proposal was abandoned, but boycott threats remained (per BBC Sport reporting).
- 13 August: England beat Portugal 2-0 in a final warm-up friendly in Lisbon; Bedford told BBC Sport she had been instructed by the FA to “just continue as usual.”
- Week following 13 August: Bedford expected to name the final U20 World Cup squad.
- 5–27 September: Scheduled dates for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Implications and practical takeaways for fans
- From England’s perspective, preparations continue and a squad announcement was expected to follow the warm-up fixtures.
- Fans should monitor official FA and tournament communications for confirmation of participation and squad lists, as wider governance discussions could affect teams’ involvement.
- For those tracking player development, the Portugal friendly provided a last look at contenders such as Ava Baker and Layla Drury ahead of Bedford’s final decisions.
“The message from leadership all along has been ‘just continue as usual'”
That line appears in Bedford’s comments after the Portugal friendly and is consistent with the FA’s stance as described to BBC Sport. It summarises the operational approach the England setup is taking while the broader dispute continues to unfold.
G3.Football will update this story with the FA’s official squad list and any changes to the tournament schedule or participating nations as soon as further confirmed information is released.