STANFORD, Calif. - Head coach Lydia Bedford has named the 21-player squad, including Stanford’s Kaiya Jota and Eleanor Klinger, 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 and her players 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, which you can see in full below, 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, September 5 in Bielsko-Biała, before facing Tanzania on Tuesday, September 8. They will conclude Group B against Brazil on Friday, September 11, 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 Łódź on Sunday, September 27.
England v Canada
Saturday, September 5, 17:00 BST
Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
England v Tanzania
Tuesday, September 8, 17:00 BST
Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
England v Brazil
Friday, September 11, 14:00 BST
Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
The Young Lionesses last appearance at the tournament produced a bronze medal in 2018.
England's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Eve Annets (Manchester City), Katie Cox (Chelsea, on loan to Nottingham Forest), Kaiya Jota (Stanford University)
Defenders: Ria Bose (West Ham), 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)
Midfielders: Lola Brown (Chelsea), May Cruft (Rangers), Chloe B. Hylton (Carolina Ascent), Vera Jones (Chelsea, on loan to Watford), Erica Meg Parkinson (North Carolina Courage)
Forwards: 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), Eva Hendle (Chelsea, on loan to Rangers), Eleanor Klinger (Stanford University), Lauryn Thompson (North Carolina Courage)