Uefa is poised to drop its threatened boycott of Fifa competitions following concrete guarantees that the global governing body will not attempt to repeat Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. This development suggests European teams are likely to be cleared for participation in the upcoming under-20 Women’s World Cup and subsequent tournaments.
The boycott threat stemmed from Fifa President Gianni Infantino’s ill-fated Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal. Uefa had previously stated that the condition for lifting the boycott – that "such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again" – had not been met.
While the boycott has not yet been publicly dropped, it is expected to be a topic at a Uefa executive committee meeting in Monte Carlo on Thursday. This decision would allow teams like England, who named their squad last week, to travel to Poland for their opening game against Canada on 5 September. France and Spain have also listed their travelling parties in anticipation of the boycott being lifted, with Portugal, Italy, and the host nation also due to compete.
Despite the potential lifting of the boycott, Uefa's position that Infantino must be replaced remains unchanged, with further discussions on its stance towards Fifa leadership expected at Thursday's meeting.