The Women’s Super League (WSL) has reportedly suggested that the timing of the inaugural Club World Cup could have a “catastrophic” impact on the domestic season.
FIFA have announced that the inaugural competition will take place between January 5th and 30th in 2028.
The Guardian have reported that the WSL have called for the tournament to be moved to the summer.
WSL concerned by Club World Cup timing
A WSL spokesperson told The Guardian that the league is strongly against a winter Club World Cup in 2028.
It’s said that the timing of the tournament could impact as many as five WSL match rounds.
Many European leagues would be impacted by the timing of the tournament. The WSL returns from a winter break in early January.
Arsenal would be a likely contender to play in the tournament after winning the Champions League last season.
Their Champions League win already means they will play in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup later this month.
The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup’s January 2028 dates “could be catastrophic”, the Women’s Super League has said, with the league raising serious concerns over the potential impact of the tournament on domestic calendars.https://t.co/0Fmt9WWyrR
— Tom Garry (@TomJGarry) January 21, 2026
Fortunately for Arsenal, they will host the Women’s Champions Cup final, with the tournament also featuring Gotham FC, Corinthians and AS FAR.
However, they will likely have a long travel if they were to play in the Club World Cup.
Qatar are reportedly in talks with FIFA over staging the tournament in two years.
Other issues surrounding the tournament
The Guardian have also reported that clubs and players are against the current schedule of the Club World Cup.
Fans across English women’s football have also expressed their concerns over FIFA’s plans.
The Football Supporters’ Association sent a letter to WSL chief executive Nikki Doucet and FA CEO Mark Bullingham to express “serious concerns” over the planned tournament. The letter was co-signed by 34 supporter groups.
Deborah Dilworth of the FSA 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.
The “increased burden on supporters” was also highlighted in the letter.
Meanwhile, FIFA’s chief football officer Jill Ellis hit out at anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States, when discussing the prospect of Qatar staging the Club World Cup.
She said: “There are over 500 bills in the US with anti-gay legislation on them. That was last year when I started researching. I say that because I also think more broadly, we all have to look at how we can continue to create different perceptions.
“I think sport is a powerful conduit to do that. That’s just me putting my [personal] thing on. I will assure you that, but I also come from the US. Right now, there’s a big light being shone on that. I’m very, very careful not to throw stones in glass houses. We certainly will look at all of the bidding that comes in.”
