Chris Macpherson 
Melbourne City, who could represent the AFC in the Women's Champions Cup, celebrating a goal against Sydney FC in Round 8 of the 2024/25 A-League Women season. Photo: Marcus Robertson/Round Ball Australia
The first-ever Women’s Club World Cup, which was originally scheduled to occur in 2026, has now been pushed back to 2028. Alongside the announcement of the 2028 Club World Cup, FIFA has launched a new tournament to start in 2026 called the Women’s Champions Cup.
FIFA say this will give clubs more time to prepare for the Club World Cup and make sure the competitions runs smoothly.
The FIFA Council ratified the new tournaments at a meeting on Wednesday.
The Women’s Champions Cup will have six teams from different continents. Each team will be a champion from their region, bringing together the best clubs from around the world. FIFA hopes this will create exciting match-ups, grow the women’s game, and make it more competitive and commercially successful.
This could mean an opportunity on the world stage for A-League Women representative Melbourne City as early as 2026 if they can continue their current run in the AFC Women’s Champions League.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is backing the changes, saying the new tournaments will “stimulate growth, inspire athletes, create new rivalries, engage more fans and crown heroes from all over the world.” He wants women’s club football to have more global recognition and opportunities.
The Women’s Club World Cup, now set for 2028, will feature 16 teams.
For the first edition, there will be 13 direct qualifiers from continental bodies, as follows:
- UEFA – Five direct qualifiers
- CAF, CONMEBOL, AFC and CONCACAF – Two direct qualifiers.
- OFC – No direct qualifiers.
Six clubs representing the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, the OFC and UEFA will take part in the play-in stage. Three sides from the play-in stage will join the 13 direct qualifiers.
The structure is subject to change as the competition develops after the 2028 version. No host or time period has yet been agreed for the tournament.
Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer, says she’s confident these changes will push women’s football forward. She believes the tournaments will help grow the sport and bring in new revenue, which is crucial for its future.
The announcement show an intention from FIFA to double down on women’s club football on the world stage. These competitions should lift the women’s club game to new heights, in time on par with the men’s game, and create new rivalries.
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