Polish FA: Confident U-20 Women's World Cup boycott will be avoided, preparations ongoing

Published Jul 31, 07:04 PM UTC

The Polish Football Association (PZPN) is proceeding with preparations for the 2026 U-20 Women's World Cup, scheduled for September 5-27 in Poland, despite European nations threatening to boycott FIFA tournaments over the governing body's plan to sell stakes in World Cup competitions to private investors. PZPN general secretary Lukasz Wachowski expressed confidence the standoff would be resolved swiftly, allowing the tournament to proceed. The controversy stems from FIFA's July 28 announcement of plans to sell a minority stake in a new company managing its main competitions. UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation have all rejected the proposal, which requires approval by September 19 from a majority of FIFA's 211 member associations and the 37-member FIFA Council. The U-20 Women's World Cup is the first of three FIFA tournaments scheduled for late 2026.