October 8: The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup faces a direct collision with Europe’s domestic calendar, with Arsenal and potentially Chelsea facing each other almost a month from the Women’s Super League (WSL) in January 2028.
The Guardian reports that the tournament is scheduled for January 5-30, a stretch that could see participating English clubs play a maximum of four WSL rounds, as well as the fourth round of the FA Cup. FIFA’s formal announcement so far has only set the competition for January-February 2028.
Arsenal are guaranteed a place after winning the 2025 Champions League. Chelsea are also well-placed via UEFA’s four-year coefficient, although England’s expected two-club limit creates a complication: a Champions League triumph for Manchester City this season could take them into second place in England.
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 final.
The WSL already shuts down over Christmas and the New Year, but simply extending that break into January would bring postponed matches into February, just as the Champions League knockout stages begin. The league has yet to announce a solution.
Travel may add another layer, with the United States in advanced discussions to host the tournament in Los Angeles and San Diego, although FIFA has not formally awarded hosting rights.
The narrowing comes in an already awkward year, as Los Angeles will host the 2028 summer Olympics, where the women’s tournament has expanded to 16 senior national teams and carries much more weight than the men’s Olympic competition.
It also gives fresh ammunition to a calendar dispute that has already reached Brussels. The European Leagues expanded their 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 denies that by saying the Club World Cup format followed dialogue with confederations, clubs, leagues and players.
The first Women’s Club World Cup is designed to give the club game a global dimension. Before a ball is even thrown, just fitting it into the season is already proving to be a headache.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
