By Adegboyega Adeleye
FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s attendance at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland remains uncertain, with the tournament opening amid continuing pressure on the FIFA chief over his abandoned proposal to sell a stake in the organisation’s World Cup business.
According to Reuters, the uncertainty comes as Infantino remains under fire from UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF, despite announcing plans to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in 2027.
The tournament opens Saturday in Katowice, with hosts Poland facing Argentina before Mexico take on Benin. The opening matches are expected to draw about 15,000 spectators in Katowice.
The tournament, which runs until September 27, is the first major FIFA competition that could have been affected by the governance standoff that followed Infantino’s proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.
Infantino abandoned the proposal on July 31 following strong opposition from UEFA and other stakeholders.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise plan proposed transferring commercial rights linked to FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cup, into a new subsidiary. Outside investors were expected to pay about $4.2 billion for a stake in a business valued at around $20 billion.
The 56-year-old Swiss administrator has since faced calls to resign from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, although he has announced plans to seek a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in March 2027.
No challenger has formally declared a candidacy, but UEFA has said it will work with other confederations to ensure member associations are offered a credible alternative.
Infantino has remained highly visible since the proposal collapsed. He attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris last month and three days later watched Vietnam win the ASEAN Championship against Thailand in Hanoi.
He also visited the Dominican Republic while a CONCACAF Under-14 tournament was taking place, despite CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani asking him to stay away, arguing that the controversy surrounding the FIFA president could overshadow the youth event.
Montagliani has been mentioned as a potential challenger to Infantino but has not declared his candidacy. The deadline for candidates to enter the FIFA presidential race is November 18.
The Under-20 Women’s World Cup is an important development tournament, with many of its players hoping to progress to the senior Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.
Hosts Poland will face Argentina in Saturday’s opening game before Mexico take on Benin, with both matches taking place in Katowice.
All six regional confederations are represented among the 24 teams competing in Poland.
Under regulations introduced by FIFA this year, every team in FIFA women’s competitions must have a woman as head coach or among its assistant coaches.
Defending champions North Korea are among the top-seeded teams alongside hosts Poland, Japan, Spain, Brazil and France.
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