The Women’s Super League has described the proposed January 2028 dates for the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup as potentially ‘catastrophic’, warning of severe disruption to the domestic calendar. A league spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the WSL has made its opposition clear to Fifa, which has scheduled the tournament from 5–30 January.
The WSL stressed it is not against new competitions in principle, but argued that the timing would affect five match rounds of the English top flight. The league has called for the event to be held during the northern hemisphere’s summer instead, though it stopped short of a boycott or threats to withdraw English clubs.
Fifa’s chief football officer, Jill Ellis, indicated on Tuesday that the Middle East could host the 2028 edition, amid reports of discussions with Qatar. Ellis criticised anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the United States, urging against hypocrisy when considering potential hosts. The qualification pathways for continental confederations remain undisclosed.
The January window avoids clashes with the Women’s Champions League, but many domestic European leagues will be impacted. The WSL currently has a winter break from mid-December to early January. The tournament was originally planned for 2026 but was delayed, according to previous reports.
Meanwhile, Fifa’s smaller Champions Cup is underway in London, with Arsenal among four teams. The semi-finals begin on 28 January at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, and the final on 1 February at the Emirates Stadium – the same day as a top-of-the-table WSL clash between Manchester City and Chelsea.
