A Historic Step for Women’s Club Football
FIFA has officially announced two groundbreaking tournaments set to revolutionize women’s club football: the Women’s Club World Cup, launching in 2028, and the Women’s Champions Cup, set to debut in 2026. These tournaments mark a major milestone in FIFA’s commitment to expanding the global reach of the women’s game.
The Women’s Club World Cup: A Global Showdown in 2028
Originally planned for 2026, the Women’s Club World Cup has been rescheduled to 2028 to ensure a top-tier competition featuring the world’s best clubs. The tournament will bring together 16 elite teams in an exciting group-stage format, followed by knockout rounds to crown the ultimate club champion.
How Teams Will Qualify:
FIFA has designed an inclusive format to ensure representation from across the footballing world:
- UEFA (Europe): 5 direct spots + 1 playoff spot
- AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North America), and CONMEBOL (South America): 2 direct spots + 1 playoff spot each
- OFC (Oceania): 1 playoff spot
This structure ensures that the world’s top women’s clubs will battle it out for glory, giving fans a truly global competition.
Introducing the Women’s Champions Cup: A Global Showpiece Starts in 2026
To bridge the gap before the World Cup’s launch, FIFA is introducing the Women’s Champions Cup, a brand-new annual tournament that will pit six continental club champions against each other.
Tournament Format:
- The Asian champion will host the Oceania champion in the opening round.
- The winner will face the African champion in the next stage.
- In the semifinals, the UEFA champion will face the advancing team, while the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL champions clash in the other bracket.
- The final four matches (semifinals, third-place match, and final) will take place in late January each year.
The first-ever Women’s Champions Cup will kick off from January 28 to February 1, 2026, with subsequent editions in 2027 (January 27-31) and 2029 (January 24-28).
FIFA’s Commitment to Growing Women’s Football
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that these tournaments will elevate women’s club football to new heights, creating more opportunities for female players and expanding global engagement.
“We are committed to making women’s football as competitive and celebrated as the men’s game. These new competitions will give clubs and players a bigger stage to shine on.”
With increased investment, global reach, and the backing of FIFA, women’s club football is set for an exciting transformation.
What’s Next?
As we countdown to 2026 and 2028, fans can expect more details on hosting nations, prize money, and participating clubs. Stay tuned for updates as women’s football takes center stage on the global club level!