First Women’s Club World Cup. | © Twitter (@alkass_digital)
The 16-team tournament is scheduled to take place every four years, coinciding with the domestic season of European leagues. It will be positioned between the group stages and knockout rounds of the Women’s Champions League.
Typically, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season in the USA commences in March.
In December 2022, FIFA declared its plan to establish a worldwide women’s club competition, a notion subsequently confirmed by a FIFA congress in Bangkok on Wednesday.
As it stands, Barcelona holds the title of European champions, NY Gotham FC reigns as the NWSL champions, and Corinthians from Brazil are the current holders of the Copa Libertadores Femenina.
At the FIFA congress, a new international match calendar spanning from 2026 to 2029 was ratified. The objective behind this revision is to afford players more opportunities for rest and recovery by decreasing the number of international breaks from six to five.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed, “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 inaugural edition of the expanded men’s Club World Cup tournament, set to occur every four years, is slated for next summer.
Additionally, the FIFA congress is poised to vote for the host of the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with Brazil competing against a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
