The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will be pushed
back to 2028 from its original date of 2026, soccer’s global governing body
announced on Wednesday.
Instead, the new six-team FIFA Women’s Champions Cup
will debut in 2026 and feature the six continental club champions, FIFA said
after Wednesday’s FIFA Council meeting where the new programme was approved.
“Women’s football has reached new heights at
national-team level, and now it’s time for global competitions that showcase
the best clubs from around the world,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.
“These FIFA competitions will stimulate growth, inspire athletes, create new
rivalries, engage more fans and crown heroes from all over the world.”
The two-year delay to the Women’s Club World Cup,
which was first announced after a council meeting in May, is to allow
stakeholders more time to prepare and give women players some breathing space
in an already condensed schedule.
The Women’s Club World Cup will see six teams take
part in the play-in stage. The three winners will advance to the group stage
and join 13 other clubs.
The AFC, CAF, Concacaf and CONMEBOL confederations
will each have two direct slots, while UEFA will have five berths. The group
stage will feature four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group
progressing to the knockout stage.
The first three editions of the Champions Cup,
meanwhile, will be held in 2026, ’27 and ’29.
“These are more than just new tournaments – these are
drivers for the future of our sport that will raise standards, provide
invaluable opportunities for growth and local development, and generate new
revenue – all on a global scale,” said Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football
Officer, and a two-times World Cup winner as a head coach.
The semi-finals and final of the inaugural Champions
Cup will be held from January 28 and February 1 at a neutral venue still to be
determined.
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