FIFA crisis casts doubt over Infantino’s attendance at Women’s U-20 World Cup opener

Friday 04 September 2026 - 19:21

By: Azzat Manal

FIFA crisis casts doubt over Infantino’s attendance at Women’s U-20 World Cup opener

Around 15,000 spectators are expected at Saturday’s opening match of the FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland, but it remains unclear whether FIFA President Gianni Infantino will attend as the governing body continues to deal with the fallout from a controversial commercial proposal.

The tournament, which runs until September 27, is the first major FIFA competition to be staged since Infantino abandoned plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed subsidiary that would have transferred commercial rights linked to FIFA competitions to a new company.

The proposal envisaged private investors paying around $4.2 billion for a stake in the subsidiary, which was reportedly valued at approximately $20 billion. The plan faced strong opposition from UEFA and other football stakeholders before Infantino withdrew it on July 31.

The controversy has since triggered calls for Infantino, 56, to step down. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF have all expressed concerns about FIFA’s leadership, while Infantino has announced his intention to seek a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in March 2027.

No official challenger has yet declared a candidacy. UEFA, however, has indicated that it intends to cooperate with other continental confederations in an effort to identify an alternative candidate capable of winning the confidence of FIFA’s member associations.

The Women’s Under-20 World Cup remains an important competition for the development of women’s football. Several players taking part in Poland are viewed as potential future stars of the senior game, with some hoping to progress to next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The opening day will feature hosts Poland against Argentina, followed by Mexico’s meeting with Benin. Both matches are scheduled to take place in Katowice.

As of Friday, FIFA had not confirmed whether Infantino would attend either of the opening fixtures. Although the FIFA president does not routinely attend the first matches of every youth tournament, he has maintained a visible international schedule since the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

Last month, Infantino attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris. Three days later, he travelled to Hanoi to watch Vietnam defeat Thailand to win the ASEAN championship.

He also visited the Dominican Republic during a CONCACAF Under-14 tournament. CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had previously urged Infantino to stay away from the youth event, arguing that the controversy surrounding FIFA’s leadership could overshadow a competition focused on young players.

Infantino’s possible absence in Poland therefore comes at a sensitive moment for FIFA, as the organization seeks to keep attention focused on the development of women’s football while managing an increasingly contentious debate over its leadership and commercial strategy.