19th August 2025
August 19 – Fresh off the back of the first Men’s FIFA Club World Cup (CWC), football’s world governing body has unveiled the format and participating clubs for the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2026.
The competition will feature three phases from October 2025 to February 2026, bringing together six continental club champions from the 2024/25 season to crown the world’s premier women’s club team.
The format will be divided into different rounds, opening in October 2025 at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium, China, followed by Round 2 in December 2025.
The extravaganza will culminate with the Semi-Finals, Third-Place Match, and Final taking place at a TBA venue and location from January 28 to February 1, 2026.
Four continental champions have already secured their places in the competition –
* **Arsenal** (UEFA Women’s Champions League 2024/25 winners)
* **Auckland United FC** (OFC Women’s Champions League 2025 winners)
* **Gotham FC** (Concacaf W Champions Cup 2024/25 winners)
* **Wuhan Jiangda** (AFC Women’s Champions League 2024/25 winners)
The two additional slots remain available for the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina 2025 winners (to be determined on October 18, 2025) and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025 winners (to be determined on November 23, 2025).
Tournament brackets are already confirmed as AFC champions Wuhan Jiangda will host OFC champions Auckland United FC in Round 1, with the winner advancing to face the CAF champions in Round 2.
The Round 2 victor will progress to the final phase, where they will meet the UEFA champions Arsenal in Semi-Final 1, meanwhile, Concacaf champions Gotham FC will face the CONMEBOL champions in Semi-Final 2.
And unlike in the uproar created by the CWC, there has been no significant push-back so far by any federation to this new tournament.
On the FIFA website, the governing body says, “The inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2026 promises to deliver world-class football as the planet’s top women’s clubs compete for the right to be called global champions.”