All set ahead of inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup

FIFA cotinues to make efforts in making the beautiful game of football better by making new innovations some of which include introducing new tournaments.

The latest from the global football governing body is the Women’s Champions Cup, an equivalent of the FIFA Club World Cup. This game-changing competition was first approved by the FIFA Council in April last year, with more details around the opening instalment being confirmed at the Council’s meeting in March this year. It will see the six continental club champions vie to become the first team to capture the prestigious title, marking a new era for international women’s club football.

With just 30 days until the groundbreaking kick-off, FIFA has announced that the curtain-raiser to the inaugural edition of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup will be held in China PR.

The tournament will get up and running with Round 1 on Wednesday, 8 October at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium, a world-class venue in the heart of Wuhan, China PR. This match will pit local side Wuhan Jiangda WFC, the AFC Women’s Champions League winners, against Auckland United FC, the winners of this year’s OFC Women’s Champions League.

“As Round 1 approaches, clubs’ fans, the media and football lovers around the globe are preparing to witness history being made, as the first FIFA Women’s Champions Cup commences in Wuhan. This tournament will bring together the best women’s clubs from every continent under the FIFA banner for the very first time , offering a global stage to showcase excellence, elevate the women’s club game and inspire generations to come,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.

Whoever comes out on top in the bout between Wuhan Jiangda and Auckland United will advance to Round 2 to face the winners of the CAF Women’s Champions League, who will be determined in November. That encounter will be contested in December this year at a venue to be announced.

It should be noted that the qualifiers to CAF Women’s Champions League are still ongoing with WAFU A (USFAS Bamako), COSAFA (Gaborone United) and ASEC Mimosa (WAFU B) already sorted.

Each of the six zones that make up CAF are represented by the zonal Champions plus the host zonal and winners from the previous edition getting additional slots to make up 8 finalists.

For the final phase of the tournament, which includes the semi-finals, the third-place play-off and the final, the four best women’s football clubs in the world will meet in a centralised location, which will be revealed in due course.

The matches in the final phase are set to be staged from 28 January to 1 February 2026 and will bring the highest level of women’s club football to a global audience. In the first semi-final, the Round 2 winners will come up against Arsenal WFC, the holders of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, Concacaf champions Gotham FC, of the United States, will take on the team who prevail in next month’s CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina.