Next year was nothing short of a blast for ardent soccer fans. Why, you ask? Firstly, 48 national teams will compete in the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup. Aside from this prestigious international tournament, the apex governing body of the beautiful game also announced something special on the women’s side—the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup. While an unfortunate turn of events saw FIFA call a rain check on the new women’s club tournament, they surprisingly managed to replace it with something even better. How does the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup sound?

Even better, you should say. Before we move forward, there’s no need to feel disheartened. It’s not as if the Women’s Club World Cup, originally set to debut in 2026, has been canceled or scrapped. Apparently, FIFA has shifted its launch to 2028, with the newly proposed Women’s Champions Cup making its debut next year instead. The decision was ratified regarding both fresh tournaments during the meeting on Wednesday.

“Following extensive consultation with key stakeholders, the inaugural edition will take place in 2028 and will feature a total of 19 clubs, allowing for a competitive and an inclusive format based on the sporting merit accumulated at global level through the new FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in the previous two years,” said president Gianni Infantino.

Notably, it was back in 2021 that Infantino had proposed the CWC for women’s clubs. After receiving approval from the FIFA Council in late 2022, the plans were set in motion. It was agreed that it will initially make its debut in 2026. However, with the introduction of the Champions Cup, the timeline has shifted forward by two years.

On the men’s side, the Club World Cup has existed since 2000 and is held annually. But the Women’s CWC will now take place after every four years, starting in 2028. Whether this change works in the favor of both FIFA and the contesting teams is something that remains under question. At least for Meghann Burke, executive director of the NWSL’s Player Association.

While Burke welcomes the idea of the CWC, she has concerns over the planning, prize money, and scheduling of the tournament. “FIFA needs to involve its stakeholders, like the NWSLPA and NWSL, for an event like this to reach its potential. Otherwise, they are hamstringing women’s football yet again like they’ve done since time immemorial.” 

Then again, Jill Ellis, FIFA’s chief football officer and former U.S. women’s national team coach thinks otherwise. She cites how not just the Club World Cup, but even the new Champions Cup is set to ‘redefine‘ the landscape of the women’s game. “These are more than just new tournaments — these are drivers for the future of our sport that will raise standards, provide invaluable opportunities for growth and local development, and generate new revenue—all on a global scale,” said Ellis.  

Yin and yang—that’s one way to describe it. Now that FIFA has postponed the Club World Cup due to the emergence of the Women’s Champions Cup, let’s take a closer look at this new tournament.

Know more about the brand-new FIFA Women’s Champions Cup

The 2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup will just be a six-team tournament. The host and venue details aren’t disclosed so far. However, sources close to ESPN report that the tournament will take place in either Europe, North America, or South America. It will run from January 28 to February 3, 2026. Additionally, the competition will feature the champions of each confederation’s club tournament.

Interestingly, the winners of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the newly introduced Concacaf Champions League, and the Women’s Copa Libertadores will secure direct qualification to the semifinals. Meanwhile, the champions from CAF, AFC, and OFC will compete in two knockout rounds to earn a place in what FIFA has named the “Final Four” stage.

Remarkably, the Champions Cup will take place annually in years when FIFA does not host the Women’s Club World Cup. Either way, it does sound quite intriguing.