FIFA Names United States Host for Historic 2028 Women’s Club World Cup

The United States has been selected to host the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup in 2028, giving women’s club football a major new global platform and marking another significant step in the sport’s rapid international growth.

FIFA confirmed on Thursday, October 22, that the first edition of the tournament will be staged in the United States from January 5 to January 30, 2028. The competition will bring together 19 leading women’s clubs from across the world, creating a new opportunity for teams from different continents to compete against one another on the biggest club stage.

The decision represents a major moment for the women’s game, particularly as FIFA continues to expand its international club competitions. The tournament is expected to become a regular fixture every four years, with the inaugural edition designed to showcase the quality, depth and growing commercial appeal of women’s club football.

FIFA said the United States emerged as the preferred host because of its experience in staging major international competitions, the quality of its sporting infrastructure and the growing interest in women’s football across the country.

A new global stage for women’s clubs

Unlike national-team competitions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the new tournament will bring together the best clubs from different regions, allowing them to compete directly for a global title.

The 2028 competition will feature representatives from all six FIFA confederations. UEFA will have six places, while the AFC, CAF, Concacaf and CONMEBOL will each provide three clubs. Oceania’s OFC will have one representative.

The structure is designed to give clubs from traditionally dominant women’s football regions the opportunity to meet teams from emerging markets, creating potentially intriguing matchups that are rarely seen in regular continental competition.

FIFA previously approved the creation of the Women’s Club World Cup as part of a wider expansion of international competitions for women’s clubs. The organisation described the tournament as an important part of its plans to give elite women’s teams a genuine global platform.

The competition will also provide clubs with an opportunity to build their international profiles. For teams outside Europe and North America, in particular, participation could bring increased global exposure, new supporters and greater commercial opportunities.

Seven clubs already qualified

Seven clubs have already secured their places in the historic first edition.

The confirmed teams include Arsenal Women of England, FC Barcelona Femení of Spain, Club América Femenil of Mexico, Gotham FC of the United States, SC Corinthians of Brazil, Wuhan Jiangda of China and Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea.

That list already provides a glimpse of the variety the tournament is expected to offer. Barcelona and Arsenal represent two of Europe’s strongest women’s clubs, while Corinthians bring the strength of South American women’s football. Gotham FC will have the opportunity to compete on home soil, while Club América represents Concacaf.

The inclusion of Wuhan Jiangda and Naegohyang also underlines the tournament’s global reach, ensuring that the competition will not be limited to clubs from the most commercially established women’s leagues.

Twelve additional places remain to be determined, meaning the final lineup will become clearer as continental competitions and qualification processes continue.

FIFA has said qualification will be based on sporting results in the premier club competitions of the different confederations over the qualifying period covering seasons ending between 2024 and 2027. The approach is intended to reward teams that have consistently performed at the highest level in their respective regions.

Why the United States was chosen

The selection of the United States comes after a period in which the country has hosted several major FIFA events.

The US staged the expanded men’s Club World Cup in 2025 and played a major role in hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. Those events gave FIFA an opportunity to assess the country’s stadiums, transportation systems, hospitality facilities and ability to handle large international football audiences.

FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman said the country’s recent record, combined with the strength of its women’s football environment, made it the standout choice.

The United States has also developed one of the world’s most established women’s football ecosystems. The National Women’s Soccer League has continued to attract significant attention, investment and high-profile players, while the country’s college football system remains an important pathway for developing talent.

Hosting the first Women’s Club World Cup could therefore provide another boost to the domestic game while introducing international clubs and players to a large American audience.

FIFA has not yet announced the host cities or complete venue schedule for the tournament. Those details are expected to be confirmed as preparations move forward.

A significant moment for the women’s game

The creation of the Women’s Club World Cup comes at a time when women’s football is experiencing unprecedented growth.

Interest in the women’s game has increased sharply in recent years, with record attendances, rising television audiences, growing sponsorship deals and greater investment in professional clubs.

However, women’s club football has not previously had a FIFA-organised tournament equivalent to the men’s Club World Cup that brings together elite teams from across the globe.

That gap will now begin to close.

The tournament could help establish new rivalries between clubs that rarely encounter each other. A European heavyweight facing a South American champion, for example, would provide supporters with a chance to compare different footballing styles and approaches to the women’s game.

It could also help clubs outside Europe’s biggest leagues gain recognition. Success on a worldwide stage could increase their appeal to sponsors and supporters while giving their players an opportunity to perform in front of a much larger international audience.

For FIFA, the competition represents an opportunity to further professionalise women’s club football and create another major event capable of attracting global attention.

Looking ahead to 2028

The tournament’s January timing will make the event particularly interesting for clubs and players, as teams will need to balance domestic commitments with the demands of a major international competition.

With the competition scheduled for January 5 through January 30, clubs will have to plan carefully around their respective domestic calendars while preparing for potentially long travel between continents.

The tournament will also arrive shortly after the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, giving the global women’s game another major event to build on.

FIFA has said its wider objective is to create a stronger international structure for women’s club football. The Women’s Club World Cup will sit alongside the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, another competition created to bring together continental champions during years when the Club World Cup is not staged.

For the players involved, the 2028 tournament will offer the chance to become part of football history. The eventual champions will not simply win another club trophy; they will become the first-ever FIFA Women’s Club World Cup winners.

As preparations begin, attention will now turn to the remaining qualification places, the selection of host cities and the final tournament format.

With Barcelona, Arsenal, Corinthians, Gotham FC, Club América, Wuhan Jiangda and Naegohyang already confirmed, the competition is already beginning to take shape.

When the tournament finally arrives in January 2028, it will represent more than the launch of a new FIFA competition. It will be a statement about how far women’s club football has progressed and a test of how much further the sport can grow on the global stage.