Uefa is poised to lift its threatened boycott of Fifa competitions after receiving binding guarantees, given in private correspondence, that Gianni Infantino's shelved plan to sell stakes in the World Cup will never be revived. The move would allow European nations to compete in the forthcoming Under-20 Women's World Cup and future tournaments, defusing a stand-off that had risked dragging younger players into a wider power struggle between the two governing bodies.

Uefa had maintained its boycott threat even after Infantino's "Fifa Forward Enterprise" privatisation scheme was withdrawn, arguing Fifa had failed to promise such an attempt would never be repeated; that assurance has now been secured following weeks of private talks. England, who named their squad last week, are set to travel to Poland for their opener against Canada on 5 September, alongside France and Spain, while Portugal, Italy and hosts Poland complete the European contingent. The boycott's formal lifting may be confirmed at a Uefa meeting of the 55 member federations in Monte Carlo on Thursday, where Uefa's stance that Infantino should be replaced remains unchanged.