The key facts

  • The first women's Club World Cup will be held in the US from January 5 to 30, 2028
  • Participants — 19 clubs from six confederations; seven spots already allocated
  • The tournament was originally planned for 2026 but was postponed by two years

FIFA chose the US as the host of the debut tournament

FIFA announced on Thursday that the first-ever women's Club World Cup in football will be held in the United States in 2028. The organization noted that the decision was made taking into account the US experience in hosting FIFA tournaments, the maturity of the infrastructure and the level of stakeholder interest in women's football in the country. According to AFP, the US already has a proven track record of hosting major sporting events, in particular this year the country served as a co-host of the men's World Cup.

Format and qualified clubs

The tournament will run from January 5 to 30, 2028 and will bring together 19 top-level clubs from all six continental confederations. Three clubs each will represent Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), North America (CONCACAF) and South America (CONMEBOL), one team will be delegated by Oceania (OFC), and Europe (UEFA) will be represented by the six best clubs. Seven teams have already secured their spots: Arsenal (England), América (Club América Femenil, Mexico), Barcelona (Spain), Gotham (USA), Naegohyang (North Korea), Corinthians (Brazil) and Wuhan Jiangda (China).

Statements and rescheduling

FIFA's Chief Football Officer for women's football, Sarai Bareman, said that these seven clubs and about a dozen more teams will 'show the strength and depth of women's club football to a global audience,' adding that they will have the opportunity to tell their story, grow their fan base and present their club on the world stage. FIFA called the creation of the tournament 'an important milestone in the professionalization and global expansion of women's club football,' giving elite clubs a true world stage once every four years. The tournament was originally planned for 2026, but FIFA postponed the debut competition by two years so that it would take place after the 2027 Women's World Cup and before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.