August 22 – FIFA has said it is advancing with plans for a Women’s Club World Cup, but details on the tournament format and timeline remain scant.
“We are well into the planning for a new Club World Cup,” said FIFA’s chief of women’s football Sarai Bareman (pictured).
“It’s a very important step forward for women’s football. We need to make sure that in between the World Cups every four years, the club game is retaining the interest that we see from the World Cups. A Club World Cup is a fantastic way to drive momentum in the leagues and the clubs.”
In December 2022, the FIFA Council green-lighted the creation of the tournament as well as a Futsal Women’s World Cup and the expansion of the Olympic Games Women’s tournament from 12 to 16 teams.
Last April, Concacaf committed to setting up the first international women’s competition for clubs with a start date in 2024 and the promise that the competition would serve as the sole pathway to the Women’s Club World Cup.
On Monday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that the continent’s Women’s Champions League will kick off in a 12-team format in 2024. The competition replaces the AFC Women’s Club Championship and will start off on an invitational basis at first.
“We’re working on formats,” said Bareman. “We’re working on access, we’re working with the confederations and making sure that the qualifying pathways are activated in the leagues in all of the countries. But, yes, it’s an exciting prospect and I can’t wait to be able to launch it.”
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