The President of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), Cezary Kulesza, says that hosting the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ will provide a boost to the participation of women and girls in Poland. The European nation was announced as hosts of the 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup following a meeting of the FIFA Council in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The FIFA Council met ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2023™ semi-finals.

“I would like to thank President Gianni Infantino and the FIFA [Council] for trusting us to host the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ in Poland,” the PZPN President said. “When Poland hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in 2019, we were able to show ourselves in a positive light, show our culture, cordiality and friendliness towards people coming to our country. “Hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2019™ (for boys) helped us take a big step forward and we received positive feedback. We showed that we are a very good partner when it comes to organising big events, new infrastructure was built and we keep improving it now.” Currently, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ is set be the first women’s FIFA tournament Poland has participated in, having never appeared at an U-17, U-20, or senior women’s World Cup to date. The U-20 national women’s team is still in the running to qualify for the 2024 edition, currently in a group with Netherlands, Finland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second phase of the UEFA qualification process.

“Women’s football in Poland is developing well,” Mr Kulesza added. “It’s one of our four priority programmes in the football association. We have a strategy for the coming years. This is our priority in what we do, and we know that this will inspire new and existing clubs to develop, and we will work on that gradually.” The shining light for female football in Poland to date came in 2013 when the U-17 national team won the UEFA European Women’s U-17 Championship, showcasing there the potential for women’s football in the country. “We know that we are a big country with a population of around 40 million, so we have big potential. Organising the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ will inspire young players to attend training sessions and join football clubs.”