Manager Lydia Bedford has named her England squad for the upcoming FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Poland, despite ongoing boycott threats from European nations. The controversy stems from FIFA's aborted Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which would have created a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% sold to a private investment firm. Uefa led the criticism and has threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions.

The tournament runs from 5 to 27 September in Poland, with England drawn in Group B alongside Brazil, Tanzania, and Canada. Their opening match is on Saturday, 5 September at 17:00 BST.

Bedford revealed she learned about the potential boycott while at a London theatre, stating that leadership instructed the team to 'just continue as usual.' She emphasized that focus remained on preparation rather than discussing the boycott with players.

England is one of six European nations participating, along with France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and hosts Poland. Erica Meg Parkinson of North Carolina Courage received a surprise call-up following her senior squad inclusion in March. The 21-player squad features talent from clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

The top two sides from each group advance automatically to the round of 16, with the best four third-placed teams also progressing. The final takes place in Łódź on Sunday, 27 September.