The European Club Association and Fifa have reached an agreement over new recommended release dates of players for international duty before the Women’s World Cup but it is doubtful whether the national associations will adhere to it.
Under the mandatory release periods established within the Fifa international match calendar, the earliest the associations could take players before the tournament in Australia and New Zealand is 10 July. Now there is a non-mandatory release timeframe of between 23 and 29 June – four weeks before the tournament. However, the FA had planned to call up their players for the first pre-World Cup camp on 19 June and the Guardian understands that nothing has changed in that respect.
