Soccer-US to host inaugural Women's Club World Cup in 2028

NEW YORK, Oct 22 — The United States will host the inaugural ​edition of the Women's Club World Cup in January 2028, FIFA said on Thursday, with seven ‌clubs confirmed so far for the 19-team tournament.

Arsenal Women, Club America Femenil, ⁠FC Barcelona Femeni, Gotham ​FC, Naegohyang Women's FC, SC ⁠Corinthians and Wuhan Jiangda WFC have already qualified, ‌with a dozen ‌more yet to be determined.

The tournament will feature teams ⁠from all six confederations -- ⁠three clubs apiece from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, one from OFC and six from UEFA. It will run from January 5 to 30.

"We undertook a detailed assessment to identify the most suitable host for ‌the inaugural edition of the FIFA ​Women's Club World Cup," FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer Sarai Bareman said in a statement.

"Ultimately, the United States' recent excellence in staging top FIFA tournaments, combined with the significant interest in women's football there plus its elite sporting infrastructure, made the country the standout ​option."

FIFA has been eager to tap into the lucrative American ‌market, and the ‌US staged ⁠the men's Club World Cup in 2025 and co-hosted the FIFA World Cup earlier this year with Mexico and Canada.

The United States is expected to co-host the 2031 ‌Women's World Cup with ​Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico, ‌with formal FIFA ⁠approval due ​next month.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by ​Pritha Sarkar)

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