The first-ever Women’s Club World Cup competition will take place across January and February 2026, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) have announced.
According to FIFA, the competition will be made up of 16 teams and will be contested every four years, falling during the period between the Women’s UEFA Champions League group stage and knockout rounds.
It will also take place during the domestic campaigns in the European leagues and before the start of the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League that usually starts in March.
However, FIFA are yet to release details regarding how clubs would qualify for the tournament and where the inaugural edition of the competition will be held.
In the same vein, a new international match calendar will run between 2026 and 2029 to give players more opportunities for recovery and cut the number of international breaks from six to five.
“The Women’s International Match Calendar and the subsequent amendments to our regulations represent an important milestone in our pledge to take the women’s game to the next level by enhancing competitiveness across the world, particularly in those regions where women’s football is less developed and protecting the well-being of the players,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the 74th FIFA congress in Bangkok.
“Having agreed the calendar well in advance will be beneficial for planning purposes”.
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