Women’s Club World Cup could be ‘catastrophic’ for English game, warns WSL

The scheduling of the proposed Fifa Women’s Club World Cup has been called potentially “catastrophic” by the Women’s Super League (WSL).

World governing body Fifa has announced the inaugural global competition, designed to echo the revamped men’s Club World Cup, will take place from 5 to 30 January 2028.

That would be in the middle of the 2027-28 WSL season, with other European domestic leagues sharing their concerns.

The competition would feature 16 teams from around the world, including up to six European clubs. From England, this would include current Champions League holders Arsenal, and potentially Chelsea based on current co-efficients.

“This is a scheduling issue rather than a strategic one. The timing is what causes us real concerns”, a WSL spokesperson said.

“We are not saying we do not want Fifa to bring in new competitions. We are fully on board with a strategy to help the women’s game grow globally.

It is the second new mid-season women’s competition to be introduced by Fifa in recent years.

The inaugural Champions Cup – featuring continental champions from around the world, including Arsenal – will take place next week in London, between 28 January and 1 February.

WSL officials say the planned Club World Cup would result in up to five WSL match weeks being rescheduled, leading to a potential fixture backlog and an impact on player fitness.

They say they have written to Fifa with their concerns and will meet with global officials in London during the Champions Cup to discuss the issue.

BBC Sport has been told the WSL would rather the tournament is played in the summer during a fallow year with no other major global competitions, rather than disrupting the domestic schedule.

The BBC also understands the planned schedule was presented at a WSL meeting with club captains on Monday, with players” shocked “by how busy the calendar could get.

The fact that the Club World Cup is scheduled for between the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics is also a concern.

A WSL spokesperson said, “There are no gaps.” With the rest and recovery required, the tournament may have to reorganize many of its fixtures due to its location in a different time zone.

“We are aware that Chelsea and Arsenal will both likely participate.” Although it would be great for our clubs, the fans’ fixtures would likely have to move to midweek times, which are less appealing. It’s delicate timing.

Although it is not currently possible to ask English teams to boycott the competition, the WSL is now considering its options.