FIFA President attends the opening game of the tournament as Poland defeat Argentina 3-0
Hosts are one of six debutants as young players gain invaluable experience on pathway to senior team and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™
“It is important that we develop football in every corner of the world,” said Mr Infantino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ shows “football is for everyone” as the tournament kicked off in Poland.
The 12th edition of the competition is the second since the number of participating teams was increased from 16 to 24. It reflects FIFA’s goal to give more of its 211 Member Associations the opportunity to perform on the global stage through the expansion of its tournaments across the men’s and women’s game and all age categories.
Following in the wake of the most inclusive FIFA World Cup™ ever with the first 48-team edition, Mr Infantino said the latest women’s tournament in Poland is another step along the road to making football truly global and the ideal prelude to the first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in South America as the global showpiece heads to Brazil next year.
“This kind of tournament is exactly what FIFA is there for. We develop the game, we boost the game in the entire world,” said Mr Infantino. “These girls who are playing here, they live the game, they love the game. For them it’s a dream come true to be part of a FIFA World Cup and to be part of this particular FIFA World Cup, which is like the last step before the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“The next one, of course, is in Brazil next year, which will be gigantic, which will be fantastic. But for us at FIFA, it is important that we develop football in every corner of the world. Football is for everyone. Football belongs to everyone, and tournaments like this are exactly the proof, the evidence of the fact that this is the case.”
Fifty-two matches will be played across the four Host Cities, Łódź, Katowice, Sosnowiec, and Bielsko-Biała, as the best U-20 female players in the world compete for the trophy, which was lifted for a joint-record third time by DPR Korea in Colombia two years ago.
“I'm very happy to be back in Poland. Poland is a country that I have loved for many, many years. I've come to Poland many, many times,” said Mr Infantino who attended the men’s version of the U-20 tournament in the central European country in 2019.
“Poland loves football. Poland has a great history. It's a big European country, and to be able to host again a FIFA World Cup shows the commitment of Poland, not just to football, but to the world, to FIFA, to the FIFA World Cup, and this is what we love.”
The tournament features six teams, including the hosts, who are making their first appearance at this level; for two of them, New Caledonia and Benin, it is their first participation in any FIFA women’s tournament, and takes to 10 the total of first-timers across the last two U-20 women’s global tournaments.
“This again is part of our work, is part of what we do to bring football to everyone, to narrow this gap between the elite who want to stay the elite and the rest of the world who is definitely coming, and coming to Poland now and coming to the world in the future,” added Mr Infantino.
“A big thank you to the Polish Football Association, to my dear, dear friend (President) Cezary (Kulesza), who is doing a great, great job with his team at the federation, at PZPN, and, you know, we can see the results of his great work every day, and for hosting the world. We all feel at home in Poland, so the entire world feels at home in Poland. Thank you so much.”
After hosting the men’s tournament in 2019 and served as the stage for numerous European national team competitions, Poland is now organising its first FIFA women’s tournament.
“First of all, I’m very happy that FIFA entrusted us with the organisation of the FIFA World Cup because I think it suggests great trust in Poland and in the Polish Football Association,” said President Kulesza, who sat alongside the FIFA President as his country opened their challenge with a 3-0 win over Argentina in their first Group A game.
“I think Gianni Infantino also appreciates the size of this tournament. He loves football, so we’re happy with him making an appearance here. We weren't surprised because we had a hunch he might come to the opening and we were right. Each association is very happy when the top world leader in football comes to a country.”