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Qatar is in talks with Fifa about staging the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, which is in line to cause major disruption to domestic seasons in 2027-28, including in Europe.
Fifa announced last month that its latest new club competition would take place from 5 to 30 January 2028, but the governing body has not said where it will be held or whether it will run a formal bidding process.
Qatar’s expression of interest is the most recent in a long line of tournament bids after it won the right to host the men’s 2022 World Cup finals, since when it has maintained close relations with Fifa.
The Fifa Intercontinental Cup was held in Al-Rayyan last month, with Paris Saint-Germain beating Flamengo in the final, and the second edition of the men’s Finalissima between the European champions, Spain, and the South American champions, Argentina, will take place in Doha in March.
As the Guardian revealed last year, Qatar expressed interest in staging the men’s Club World Cup in 2029. Fifa has decided the tournament will take place in the northern hemisphere summer, so that has been shelved, and Morocco and Spain are regarded as the most likely hosts as a dry run for the 2030 World Cup.
Taking the first Women’s Club World Cup to Qatar would cause controversy given the country’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights and the fact that it has little history of women’s football. A women’s national team was formed in 2009 when Qatar was preparing to bid for the 2022 World Cup, but after an initial burst of fixtures they have not played an official match for 12 years and do not have a Fifa ranking.
Qatar has the advantages not only of close relations with Fifa but of ready-made stadiums and a warm winter climate. Given the dates, staging the event somewhere in the Gulf appears inevitable.
Saudi Arabia is another possible option but it is committed to hosting the four-team Spanish Super Cup in January 2028. Fifa sources said it has yet to receive formal bids and declined to discuss the nature of any bidding process.
The timing highlights the growing issue of fixture congestion in the women’s game. There will be no clash with the Champions League but many domestic European leagues will be affected and may have to introduce a longer winter break. The Australian, Mexican and Japanese leagues are among other established domestic competitions likely to be affected.
The first Women’s Club World Cup will feature 16 teams, including at least five from Europe and two each from Asia, Africa, South America and North America. A club from each of those five confederations and one from Oceania will play in a qualifying tournament to determine the final three entrants.
Fifa has yet to determine its entry criteria but Arsenal, as Champions League winners last season, expect to be involved. The competition is due to take place every four years.
