The Women’s Super League (WSL) has raised serious alarm over FIFA’s proposed Women’s Club World Cup, warning that the competition’s January 2028 dates could cause major disruption to the English domestic season.
FIFA confirmed the inaugural tournament will run from 5 to 30 January 2028, mirroring the structure of the revamped men’s Club World Cup. The event is expected to feature 16 clubs from across the world, including up to six European teams.
England’s Champions League winners Arsenal are guaranteed a spot, while Chelsea could qualify depending on UEFA coefficient rankings. WSL officials say the timing, not the idea, is the key concern.
“This is a scheduling issue rather than a strategic one,” a WSL spokesperson said. “The timing is what causes us real concerns.”
The league has warned the mid-season competition could force up to five WSL match weeks to be postponed, potentially causing a backlog of fixtures and placing extra strain on player fitness and welfare.
“At best it will cause us real scheduling issues; at worst it is going to be catastrophic for the game in this country, our commercial programme and more importantly the welfare of our players,” the spokesperson added.
The Women’s Club World Cup would be the second major mid-season global competition introduced by FIFA in recent years. The inaugural Champions Cup, featuring continental champions such as Arsenal, is scheduled to take place in London next week from 28 January to 1 February.
WSL officials have written to FIFA outlining their concerns and are due to meet with global football authorities in London during the Champions Cup.
The league is urging FIFA to consider staging the Club World Cup in the summer during a fallow year, when there are no other major international tournaments. The proposed January dates fall between the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, leaving no clear break in the calendar.
“There are no gaps,” the WSL spokesperson said. “If the tournament is in a different time zone, with the rest and recovery needed, it could lead to rearrangement of a lot of fixtures.”
The WSL is currently weighing options, including adjusting the winter break—usually held over Christmas and New Year—to coincide with the Club World Cup in 2027-28. However, the league says boycotting the competition is not being considered at this stage.
