Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said women's footballers should not be "penalised" by a potential Uefa boycott of next month's Under-20 Women's World Cup, as tournament hosts Poland report no notice of any withdrawals. Uefa and its 55 member associations have threatened to boycott Fifa competitions in protest at president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, raising the prospect that a major women's youth tournament could be caught up in a dispute rooted in the men's game.

The Under-20 Women's World Cup is due to be held in Poland from 5-27 September, with Uefa nations including England, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France all set to compete. The Polish Football Association said it had received no information about any team withdrawing, and both France and Portugal have indicated their squads are continuing preparations as planned, while England have yet to confirm their participation. Nandy said she wants Infantino to resign over the proposal but does not support boycotts in general, arguing they "unfairly penalise athletes" not responsible for the dispute, and called instead for a change of leadership and a clear message that the women's game should not suffer as a result.