The United States will host the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup from 5 to 30 January 2028, with Arsenal among the seven clubs already confirmed for the historic tournament.
According to BBC Sport on Thursday, FIFA confirmed that the 19-team competition would be held every four years, following a format similar to the revamped men’s Club World Cup.
Arsenal, Barcelona, Gotham FC, Club América, Corinthians, Naegohyang and Wuhan Jiangda have secured places in the tournament, while the remaining 12 teams will be determined at a later date.
The United States was selected to host the competition following its recent experience staging major international football tournaments, alongside growing interest in women’s football and its established sporting infrastructure.
FIFA chief women’s football officer Sarai Bareman said the country was the standout choice for the inaugural edition.
“Ultimately, 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,” Bareman said.
She added that the tournament would give clubs an opportunity to showcase their quality and reach new audiences worldwide.
“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,” she said.
“They will have the opportunity to tell their story, expand their fanbase and represent their club on the world stage. They have thoroughly earned this opportunity to be part of history in the United States.”
Under the qualification structure, six additional European clubs will join the competition to represent the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confederation of African Football (CAF), Concacaf and South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) will each have three representatives, while the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) will have one club.
The United States hosted the men’s Club World Cup in 2025 and is also scheduled to co-host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup with Mexico and Canada.
The country will further host the 2031 Women’s World Cup alongside Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico.
However, the timing of the new women’s club competition has raised concerns within the domestic game.
Earlier this year, the Women’s Super League (WSL) described the proposed scheduling of the Club World Cup as potentially “catastrophic”, amid concerns over the impact of another major competition on the women’s football calendar.
The tournament will be the second new mid-season women’s club competition introduced by FIFA in recent years, following the launch of the Women’s Champions Cup, which was held for the first time in February and won by Arsenal.
