UEFA boycott threat put women’s World Cup events first in line

Women’s football would have been the first part of FIFA’s calendar disrupted by UEFA’s threatened boycott over Gianni Infantino’s push to sell stakes in a new commercial subsidiary to private investors. The first immediate test was the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, due to open Sept. 5 in Poland, followed by the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco and October qualifiers for next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Former England defender Anita Asante said the women’s game would be the “first casualties” of the standoff. Poland’s football association said preparations were continuing and it had not been told any teams would withdraw. FIFA had set a Sept. 19 deadline for member associations to accept the plan.