Qatar are reportedly in talks with FIFA to host the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup in 2028.
Qatar could host inaugural Women’s Club World Cup
The Guardian have reported that Qatar is in talks with football’s governing body to stage the Women’s Club World Cup.
It would be a controversial move due to the country’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights. Qatar also doesn’t even have a place on the FIFA Women’s rankings due to a lack of matches.
Qatar put together a women’s national team in 2009, but as per The Guardian, they have not played an official match for 12 years.
However, with the tournament set to take place in the winter, Qatar does have an advantage due to its warm winter climate.
Qatar hosted the 2022 men’s World Cup, but recently failed in their efforts to stage the men’s Club World Cup in 2029.
Morocco and Spain are the most likely nations to host the men’s tournament in 2029.
Women’s Club World Cup to disrupt WSL season
The Women’s Club World Cup will run between January 5th and 30th in 2028.
This will likely result in a change to the WSL calendar, as the tournament will start just as the winter break in the WSL usually comes to an end.
The first Club World Cup will feature 16 teams, including at least five from Europe. While FIFA has yet to determine its entry criteria, Arsenal are likely to be involved after winning the Champions League.
Women’s football fans expressed concerns about the tournament ahead of its introduction in 2028.
Deborah Dilworth, head of women’s football for the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), sent a letter to WSL chief executive Nikki Doucet and FA CEO Mark Bullingham to express “serious concerns”.
The letter was co-signed by 34 supporter groups, including fans of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Dilworth wrote: “The FSA’s Women’s Game Network cares about the health, wealth and connectivity of the entire domestic game and we believe the WCWC could negatively affect the full pyramid of women’s football in England.
“The concentration of money to a few is also of deep concern to women’s football. Should a domestic team win the tournament the prize money windfall could further distort the landscape and affect sporting competitiveness.
Arsenal set to compete in Women’s Champions Cup
Arsenal meanwhile are set to compete in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup which runs from January 28th to February 1st.
The Gunners will face Moroccan side AS FAR on January 28th, and should they win, will play either Gotham FC or Corinthians in the final on February 1st.
Unlike the Women’s Club World Cup, the Champions Cup only features the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations
