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Friday, August 21, 2026

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England name Under-20 World Cup squad

Lydia Bedford has named the 21-player squad to represent England at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in September.

The Young Lionesses are set to compete on the global stage in Poland, with Bedford’s side bringing a wealth of experience from previous pathway tournaments across the age groups.

England have spent the summer building towards the World Cup with a series of preparation camps and fixtures against international opposition. So far, they have recorded victories over Canada, Colombia and Portugal, drawn with the USA and narrowly lost to Japan. The squad will come together for a final preparation camp at St. George’s Park next week, finishing with a warm-up fixture against New Caledonia on Saturday 29 August.

England will then get their World Cup campaign underway against Canada on Saturday 5 September in Bielsko-Biała, before facing Tanzania on Tuesday 8 September. They will conclude Group B against Brazil on Friday 11 September, with the top two sides automatically progressing to the Round of 16, while the best four third-placed sides will also make it through. The final will be hosted in Lodz on Sunday 27 September.

England v Canada

Saturday 5 September, 17:00 BST

Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biaca

England v Tanzania

Tuesday 8 September, 17:00 BST

Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biaca

England v Brazil

Friday 11 September, 14:00 BST

Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała

The Young Lionesses’ last appearance at the tournament produced a bronze medal in 2018. That squad featured a number of players who have since gone on to become senior Lionesses, including Niamh Charles, Grace Fisk, Lauren Hemp, Taylor Hinds, Chloe Kelly, Esme Morgan, Ellie Roebuck, Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway.

Lydia Bedford said: “It’s an incredibly exciting moment to name the squad and a huge achievement for every player selected. We’ve had a really valuable summer together, testing ourselves against some of the best teams in the world, and I’ve been so impressed by the way the group has connected and developed both on and off the pitch. We know the level of competition in Poland will be extremely high, but we’re excited by the prospect of the challenge.

“There were some very difficult decisions to make when naming the final squad, which reflects the strength and depth we have across the pathway. For the 21 players selected, the focus now is on making the most of this opportunity, representing England with pride, and seeing how far we can go together.”

England Under-20 World Cup squad:

Eve Annets Manchester City

Katie Cox Chelsea, on loan to Nottingham Forest

Kaiya Jota Stanford University

Ria Bose West Ham United

Sacha Lewis Manchester City

Rachel Maltby Aston Villa

Lucy Newell Manchester United

Chloe Sarwie Chelsea

Zara Shaw Liverpool

Cecily Wellesley-Smith Arsenal, on loan to FC Rosengård

Lola Brown Chelsea

May Cruft Rangers

Chloe B. Hylton Carolina Ascent

Vera Jones Chelsea, on loan to Watford

Erica Meg Parkinson North Carolina Courage

Princess Ademiluyi Gotham FC, on loan to Ipswich Town

Lily Dent Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan to Sunderland

Jessie Gale Arsenal, on loan to Newcastle Utd

Eva Hendle Chelsea, on loan to Rangers

Eleanor Klinger Stanford University

Lauryn Thompson North Carolina Courage