October 8 – FIFA’s first Women’s Club World Cup is heading for a direct collision with the European domestic calendar, with Arsenal and potentially Chelsea facing almost a month away from the Women’s Super League (WSL) in January 2028.
The Guardian reports that the tournament is being planned for January 5-30, a slot that could take participating English clubs out of as many as four WSL rounds as well as the fourth round of the FA Cup. FIFA’s formal announcement has so far only fixed the competition for January-February 2028.
Arsenal are assured of a place after winning the 2025 Champions League. Chelsea are also strongly placed through UEFA’s four-year coefficient, although England’s expected two-club limit creates a complication: a Manchester City Champions League triumph this season could take the second English place instead.
The main tournament will feature 16 clubs, with four groups of four followed by knockout rounds. UEFA has five direct places and another entry into a six-team play-in, from which three clubs will reach the finals.
The WSL already shuts down over Christmas and New Year, but simply extending that break through January would push postponed fixtures into February, just as the Champions League knockout phase begins. The league has yet to announce a solution.
Travel may add another layer, with the United States in advanced discussions to stage the tournament across Los Angeles and San Diego, although FIFA has not formally awarded the hosting rights.
The squeeze lands in an already awkward year, given Los Angeles will stage the Olympics in the summer of 2028, where the women’s tournament has been expanded to 16 senior national teams and holds much more weight than the men’s Olympic competition.
It also gives fresh ammunition to a calendar dispute that has already reached Brussels. European Leagues extended its European Commission complaint against FIFA last month to cover the women’s game, accusing the governing body of using its regulatory powers to impose competitions without sufficient league involvement. FIFA disputes that by saying the Club World Cup format followed dialogue with confederations, clubs, leagues and players.
The first Women’s Club World Cup is meant to give the club game a global showpiece. Before a ball is kicked, just fitting it into the season is already proving to be quite the headache.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]