WSL warns January 2028 Women’s Club World Cup dates could be 'catastrophic'

The Women’s Super League has warned that the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, which Fifa has announced will be held from 5–30 January 2028, could be "catastrophic" for domestic calendars and said the league is firmly against those dates. A WSL spokesperson said the league had made its case strongly to Fifa and believed clubs and players were also opposed, but stopped short of calling for a boycott or threatening to withdraw English teams, adding: "We are not against the introduction of new tournaments in principle [but] those dates would have an impact on five WSL match rounds." The league has called for the competition to be held during the northern hemisphere's summer months and said it does not want to prevent member clubs from participating.

Fifa has not yet revealed qualification pathways or a host. On Tuesday Fifa's chief football officer, Jill Ellis, appeared to be open to the possibility of the 2028 Cup being contested in the Middle East and criticised anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the United States while warning of hypocrisy and not wanting to "throw stones in glass houses" when discussing the prospect of Qatar hosting the event.

The Guardian revealed earlier this month that Fifa is in discussions with Qatar as a possible host. The WSL said the January dates would not clash with Women’s Champions League ties but would affect many domestic European leagues; the WSL currently has a winter break from mid-December to early January.

Key Topics

Sports, Women's Super League, Fifa, Club World Cup, Jill Ellis, Qatar