The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup has been slated for January and February 2026, according to FIFA.
The 16-team tournament will be held every four years and it will go on during the domestic season for European leagues.
It will be held between the Women’s Champions League group stages and the knockout phase.
Note that the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season usually commences in March.
When Did FIFA Announce Its Intention To Create The FIFA Women’s Club World Cup?
The governing body of football, FIFA, announced its intention to organize a global women’s club competition in December 2022.
These plans were also confirmed at a Fifa congress on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Barcelona are the current champions of Europe, with NY Gotham FC being the reigning NWSL champions.
Brazilian side Corinthians are the present holders of the Copa Libertadores Femenina, and the continental competition is expected to be intense.
It is also expected to be an avenue to generate money for the ever-growing women’s game.
Meanwhile, the FIFA Congress also approved a new international match calendar from 2026 to 2029.
This initiative was done to provide players extra opportunities for rest and recovery by decreasing the number of international breaks from six to five.
Speaking during the congress about the international calendar for women, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said:
“The women’s international match calendar and the subsequent amendments to our regulations represent an important milestone in our pledge to take the women’s game to the next level by enhancing competitiveness across the world.”
The first installment of the expanded men’s Club World Cup tournament, which will also be held every four years, is also slated for the summer of 2025, although there are push backs from some stakeholders for the timeframe to be shifted.
Moreover, the Fifa Congress is also set to vote for the nation that will host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
South American nation Brazil are squaring up against a joint bid from three European countries, namely; Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Recall Brazil were the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the subsequent Summer Olympics.
FIFA Considering Idea Of Domestic League Matches Being Staged Overseas
FIFA is set to establish a working group to evaluate the impact of playing competitive domestic matches overseas.
A legal settlement agreed between FIFA and match promoter Relevant Sports in the USA has made the idea possible.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, said that the agreement has “left the door ajar”.
This indicates that the initiative is slightly possible, although the Premier League expressed they have no plans to make such a move despite playing a leading role in it.
Anyway, La Liga are keen on the idea and are already planning overseas games for the 2025-26 season.
La Liga have brought back their plans to play league games overseas after canceling Barcelona’s league clash against Girona in 2019, which was due to be held in Miami, United States of America.
FIFA had in the past been against the move, as they felt it could cause a big blow to the finances of domestic clubs.
However, the issue was discussed at its Council meeting in Bangkok on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, and it was agreed that a working committee should be set up to evaluate the move.
They also want to know about the likely impact of the initiative on host countries, and if the move will be counterproductive or not.
FIFA want to sort out issues such as the amount of notice over the scheduling of games.
In addition, the impact on the balance of sporting competition and the plausible effect on the growth of football in the countries that will be hosting such matches.
Relevance Sports Influence
Relevant Sports have played a leading role in pushing the idea of overseas matches being played in the United States, having launched the International Champions Cup, which always takes place during the pre-season.
The sports media company also made efforts to host an Ecuador League encounter in the United States of America in 2019, but their plans were thwarted by FIFA.
In the summer of 2023, Relevance Sports also promoted the six-team Premier League summer series that consisted of top English teams, namely; Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Brighton, Fulham, and Brentford.
