The Bureau of the Council has taken key decisions, which underline FIFA’s steadfast commitment to the development of women’s football globally. The decisions, spanning both club and national-team activities, will collectively elevate women’s football over the coming years, as the inspiring FIFA Women’s Club World Cup™ evolves from concept to reality, sporting success at continental level is robustly rewarded, and key stakeholders benefit from an enhanced financial distribution model for next year’s historic FIFA Women’s World Cup™ – the first to be staged in South America. Financial distribution principles established for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ While additional details are due to be discussed by the FIFA Council at its next meeting in December 2026 and communicated in due course, the Bureau of the Council has agreed that players, Member Associations and clubs should each benefit from increased financial distributions, as stakeholders work collectively to grow and professionalise women’s football. Importantly, preparation money for Participating Member Associations (PMAs) will be increased to USD 2.5 million per PMA, on par with the FIFA World Cup 2026™. These funds will be made available to PMAs before December 2026. Additionally, players participating in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ will enjoy the same service levels as their male counterparts in 2026, and any surplus from the women’s showpiece will be allocated to the Member Associations involved, with a specific amount ring-fenced for players. Enhancements to minimum guaranteed player payments, the FIFA Club Benefits Programme and distributions to the national teams taking part in the qualification pathway are central features of the approved principles.

Flagship club competition to kick off in the United States The FIFA Council decided on 17 December 2025 that the inaugural edition of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup would be staged from 5 to 30 January 2028, the Bureau of the Council etched the next chapter in the tournament’s timeline by appointing the United States as host.

Throughout this year, the FIFA administration has worked to identify a strong host for the maiden edition of the quadrennial competition, which will feature 19 of the best women’s club teams hailing from all six confederations.

FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Dame Sarai Bareman explained that after the success of the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup™, hosted by the United States last year, as well as this year’s record-setting FIFA World Cup™ at which the US played a remarkable role, FIFA has confidence that the nation will once again set a fitting stage.

“We undertook a detailed assessment to identify the most suitable host for the inaugural edition of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup,” said Bareman. “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.”

“Alongside the vibrant and passionate women’s football ecosystem in the United States, the qualified clubs, government, host cities, our commercial and media partners and more, our mission will be to set an impressive standard for global women’s club football and a benchmark for the future.” First seven clubs for the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup 2028™ confirmed Building on the FIFA Council’s decision on 6 March 2025 to confirm the slot allocations, the Bureau of the Council confirmed the key principles of access that will govern how clubs qualify for the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. Developed in close consultation with the confederations and with the goal of striking the right balance between competitive quality and global representation, the model rewards sporting performance by prioritising continental champions spanning seasons ending in the years 2024 to 2027.

By virtue of the principles outlined below, seven clubs have secured their tickets to the first-ever FIFA Women’s Club World Cup: Arsenal Women FC (England), Club América Femenil (Mexico), FC Barcelona Femení (Spain), Gotham FC (United States), Naegohyang Women’s FC (DPR Korea), SC Corinthians (Brazil) and Wuhan Jiangda WFC (China PR).

“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,” added Bareman. “They will have the opportunity to tell their story, expand their fan base and represent their club on the world stage. They have thoroughly earned this opportunity to be part of history in the United States.” The AFC, CAF, Concacaf and CONMEBOL will be represented by three clubs apiece at the competition, one team will fly the flag for the OFC and six of Europe’s finest women’s football sides will represent UEFA. For confederations with four or more slots (UEFA)

For confederations with fewer than four slots (the AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL and the OFC)

FIFA will work with the relevant confederations to establish a club ranking methodology based on sporting merit, while the existing UEFA and Concacaf mechanisms will be applied in those confederations for this edition. A review of the access framework will take place following the 2028 edition.

Miami set for back-to-back FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2027™ semi-final matchdays To enhance the visibility of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2027™, the second instalment of FIFA’s pioneering women’s club competition bringing together the six continental champions in the years between editions of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, the Bureau of the Council agreed to amend the dates of the final phase of the competition.

The semi-final matches will now be contested on back-to-back days at Nu Stadium, the new home of Inter Miami CF, with Club América Femenil (Mexico) facing the Round 2 winners from the AFC, CAF or the OFC in the first semi-final on Tuesday, 26 January 2027, before FC Barcelona Femení (Spain) take on the winners of this month’s CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina in the second semi-final on Wednesday, 27 January 2027. The bronze final and the final will be held as a double-header on Sunday, 31 January 2027, with the kick-off times for all the matches in the final phase set to be confirmed soon. The competition will commence with Round 1 in China PR on Sunday, 25 October 2026, when Naegohyang Women’s FC (DPR Korea) challenge Auckland United FC (New Zealand) at 15:00 local time.