USA to host inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup

USA to host inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup FIFA has confirmed that the United States will host the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup from January 5 to 30, 2028. FIFA Congress approved the 19-team competition in December 2025, but the tournament’s January schedule has already raised questions about its impact on domestic leagues. FIFA has yet to announce the host cities, but seven clubs have already qualified after winning continental competitions over the past two seasons. The list includes Women’s Super League side Arsenal, European champions Barcelona and National Women’s Soccer League leaders Gotham FC. Brazilian club Corinthians, China’s Wuhan Jiangda WFC, Mexico’s Club America and North Korea’s Naegohyang complete the confirmed list. Thirteen teams will qualify automatically, while the remaining places will be decided through qualifying matches and a club ranking system. Europe will have six representatives, while Asia, Africa, North America and Central America, and South America will each receive three spots. Oceania will have one representative. European clubs will generally be limited to two per national association unless more than two clubs from the same country win continental competitions during the relevant period. FIFA chief women’s football officer Dame Sarai Bareman said the United States was the clear choice because of its experience hosting major tournaments. “The United States’ recent excellence in staging top FIFA tournaments, combined with the significant interest in women’s football there plus its elite sporting infrastructure, made the country the standout option,” she said. “These seven clubs, and a dozen more, will come together to show the strength and depth of women’s club football to a global audience.” FIFA also announced that every participating national association at the 2027 Women’s World Cup will receive $2.5 million in preparation funding before December 2026. The figure matches the payment made to teams at the men’s World Cup earlier in 2026. The tournament was initially scheduled to launch earlier but was postponed until 2028 after stakeholders called for more time to prepare.