FIFA confirmed that the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will now kick off in 2028, officially delaying its original 2026 launch this week.
Instead, soccer's world governing body will introduce a new Champions Cup next year, with FIFA ratifying both events on Wednesday.
The alternate Champions Cup will be a smaller, six-club affair with winners from regional tournaments like the UEFA Champions League and Concacaf Champions League.
FIFA plans to make the Champions Cup an annual event set for every year that does not include the quadrennial Club World Cup.
While worldwide club tournaments are an exciting prospect, a crowded schedule, lack of secured funding, and little news of the proposed 19-team Club World Cup’s development prompted timing concerns as 2026 rapidly approaches.
Now kicking off in early 2028, the Club World Cup will initially begin with six top clubs representing the AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, the OFC, and UEFA. Those teams will take part in the play-in stage, where three winners will advance to the group stage.
Those three clubs must then contend with five directly qualified UEFA teams, plus two direct qualifiers each from CAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, and Concacaf.
While demand for increased global programming is spreading, FIFA’s delay underlines the logistical hurdles of creating new competitions — not to mention the strain they can cause athletes.
"FIFA needs to involve its stakeholders, like the NWSLPA and NWSL, for an event like this to reach its potential," NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke told ESPN on Wednesday.
"Otherwise, they are hamstringing women's football yet again like they've done since time immemorial."
UK takes aim at 2027 FIFA World Cup
In other international soccer news, the UK announced Wednesday that the country is preparing a bid to host the 2035 FIFA World Cup, with England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland joining forces in an attempt to bring the sport’s biggest event to the United Kingdom.
England’s track record should make the bid particularly attractive after hosting the 2022 Euro to record-shattering attendance and global viewership success — and seeing the home side emerge victorious in the Lionesses first-ever major tournament win.
"Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity," said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, throwing the government's full support behind the bid.
"That pride was on full display when England hosted the Women’s Euro 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy."
Should FIFA ultimately award the 2035 hosting duties to the UK, that tournament will mark the first World Cup hosted by the nation since the men's 1966 edition.
With Brazil set to host the 32-team 2027 World Cup and the US expected to lead a serious bid for the expanded 48-team 2031 edition, the FIFA Council officially recommended this week that either African or European nations serve as host for 2035.
The first matchday of the 2025 UEFA Nations League tournament saw a few regional heavy-hitters shaking off the dust on Friday, with reigning Euros champs England settling for a 1-1 draw against Portugal while perennial contenders Germany similarly split points with the Netherlands after a 2-2 result.
Snagging an early lead for the Lionesses was forward Alessia Russo, who slotted in a ball from right-back Lucy Bronze in the match's 15th minute.
Unfortunately for England, however, Portugal extended their undefeated streak to 11 games after attacking midfielder Kika Nazareth scored a top-corner equalizer at the 75th minute mark to clinch the draw.
Germany and the Netherlands, who claimed third- and fourth-place, respectively, in the tournament's inaugural 2023/24 edition, opened their 2025 campaigns with a back-and-forth battle on Friday.
After Dutch star Lineth Beerensteyn opened scoring by nutmegging German net-minder and 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year Ann-Katrin Berger in the 13th minute, Germany closed out the first half with an extra-time header from Lea Schüller to level the score.
The second half saw the Germans pull ahead thanks to a 50th-minute strike from Sjoeke Nüsken, before Beerensteyn again broke through with the match's final goal in the 66th minute.
After the match, new head coach Christian Wück, who took over the German team last March, told reporters, "We need to learn to maintain our focus, especially after taking the lead. It’s frustrating to draw after putting in such strong efforts."
Reigning champion Spain rallies for late comeback victory
Draws aside, defending Nations League winners Spain earned perhaps the wildest victory of the opening matchday, surging back from a 2-0 deficit against Belgium to claim all three points in a 3-2 finish.
The 2023 World Cup champions fell behind early after striker Mariam Toloba gave Belgium the edge in the game's 18th minute. Forward Tessa Wullaert doubled that lead in the 72nd minute, seemingly putting an emphatic end to Spain's hopes of a victory.
Clàudia Pina clawed one back for La Roja just five minutes later, but it took a pair of stoppage-time goals from Lucía García and late call-up Cristina Martín-Prieto to secure the literal last-second win.
Nations League to set up UEFA's 2027 World Cup qualifying
Established in 2022, the Women’s Nations League is now the continent’s qualifying tournament for the Euros, World Cup, and Olympics.
With records wiped following last year’s rollercoaster Olympic qualifiers, early Nations League matches now serve as a key window into the fast-approaching 2025 Euros — in addition to a heated competition in their own right.
On top of that, the outcome of this second-ever edition of the contest will determine teams' positioning for the 2026 European qualifiers for World Cup. Put simply, the finishing spots teams snag after 2025 Nations League play will determine their league paths to claiming one of UEFA's 11 available spots in the 2027 World Cup.
While there's a lot on the line, there's also a significant amount of action still to come. With four teams in each League A group, squads will play three round-robin home-and-away fixtures to determine their final group-play standings — meaning each of Friday's games have a rematch on the calendar before the stage ends on June 3rd.
The winners of the four League A groups will ultimately meet in the two-leg Nations League semifinals in October, with the two-leg third-place play-off and a final set for November and December.
On Thursday, US Soccer announced that the USWNT will cap off its 2024 campaign with a December 3rd friendly against the Netherlands in The Hague — the team's 23rd game this year.
The match comes three days after the US side's previously announced meeting with 2022 European champions and 2023 World Cup finalists England at London's iconic Wembley Stadium.
To stay the best, the USWNT will play the best
Following their gold medal-winning run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the USWNT reclaimed their world No. 1 ranking. In order to stay there, head coach Emma Hayes noted, the team must seek out matches against other top international foes.
"It was a fantastic summer for our team, and we’re going to take a lot of great lessons and memories from our time in France, but now we are looking forward to continuing our process,” said Hayes.
"In order for our team to keep learning and growing, and for the coaching staff to continue to evaluate players, we need to play the best teams possible. Playing matches in Europe against some of the world’s top teams will be an important part of our journey."
With England sitting at No. 2 in the world and the Dutch at No. 11, this final 2024 road trip is exactly what the US boss ordered.
The Dutch are a familiar friendly foe
In their 11 previous meetings with the Netherlands, the USWNT has only lost once: a 4-3 defeat in their first-ever matchup in 1991. In the years since, the States have had the upper hand, logging eight wins and two draws.
The duo has ramped up the drama in their matches, though, facing each other in world championships in three of their last four bouts.
The USWNT's 2019 World Cup final win is arguably the team's most meaningful Dutch defeat, though recent tilts have appeared significantly tougher. While the US walked away with the win in the pair's 2021 Olympic quarterfinal, they needed penalty kicks to do so. And in the States's admittedly disappointing 2023 World Cup run, they played the Netherlands to a 1-1- draw in the group stage.
How to watch the USWNT's European friendlies
The US will take on England on November 30th at 12:20 PM ET. Their meeting with the Netherlands will kick off at 2:45 PM ET on December 3rd.
Both friendlies will air live on TNT, or you can stream the games via Max and Peacock.
As the U.S. women’s national team prepares for the 2023 World Cup, Just Women’s Sports is taking a look at its opponents — including its three group-stage adversaries and its likely matchups in the knockout rounds.
Next up is a recent foe and potential opponent in the 2023 World Cup final: England.
Manager: Sarina Wiegman
Fans of women’s soccer know the name Sarina Wiegman. The 53-year-old joined the club from the Netherlands, where she had been head coach from 2016-21 after a long international career as a player. Since taking over as manager in September 2021, Wiegman has led the club to its first-ever Euros title — a year after also winning it with the Netherlands — and to victory over Brazil in the first-ever women’s Finalissima. The 2022 Best FIFA Women’s Coach’s first loss as England coach came just this year, a 2-0 defeat in a friendly against Australia.
Key player: Mary Earps
England has a multitude of offensive and defensive weapons, but perhaps no player is more important than goalkeeper Mary Earps. The 30-year-old Manchester United keeper is the glue that holds the Lionesses together as they look to win their first-ever World Cup. Earps is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, becoming the first to reach 50 clean sheets in the WSL in May, and England will rely on her all tournament.
World Cup history
England has advanced to the knockout stage of every World Cup they’ve played in, including three quarterfinals appearances in 1995, 2007 and 2007 and a third-place finish in 2015. The Lionesses followed that up with a fourth-place finish in 2019 after the USWNT knocked them out of the semifinals, 2-1. England then lost to Sweden 2-1 in the third-place match.
Group stage schedule
England will play in Group D alongside Denmark, China and Haiti. Take a look at the schedule below, or check out the full World Cup schedule.
- Saturday, July 22 – 5:30 a.m. (FOX)
- England vs. Haiti
- Friday, July 28 – 4:30 a.m. (FS1)
- England vs. Denmark
- Tuesday, Aug. 1 – 7 a.m. (FOX)
- England vs. China
Keys to beat the USWNT
This England squad looks vastly different from the one that won Euros a year ago and beat the USWNT 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley last October. Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby are all out with injuries sustained in the last year, with Williamson perhaps the team’s biggest loss.
Despite the injuries, England is considered one of the favorites to win the World Cup title. And based on the bracket, if the USWNT is to meet England in the tournament, it will be in the final.
This is a team full of stars who have come into their own since winning the Euros title last year. Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway are dangerous midfielders, while Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly provide England with a well-balanced attack up front. The team is anchored by Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright and Lotte Wubben-Moy on the backline and in front of Earps.
England has struggled to find its footing of late, taking a 2-0 loss to Australia and 0-0 draw with Portugal into the World Cup as their latest results. To beat the USWNT once again, they’ll look to follow a similar playbook as their win in October: strike early and attack often. They’ll also need to contain Sophia Smith, who had the USWNT’s lone goal in that game. The speed of the USWNT’s other attackers — Trinity Rodman, Lynn Williams and Alex Morgan — could also pose problems for England.
But if England can get rolling early, they’ll put the USWNT into a vulnerable position they don’t often find themselves in, needing to respond rather than attack.
The England’s women’s national team will not receive World Cup bonuses from its national federation following a breakdown in negotiations.
A new FIFA pay structure will see players directly compensated for the World Cup for the first time. But England’s Football Association has said it will not give its players bonus payments, The Times reported.
Instead, each player will receive just the FIFA payment, with every group-stage competitor receiving $30,000. The payments will increase with each stage; if England wins the tournament, each player on the Lionesses would receive $270,000.
While England players receive match fees for playing in international friendlies, they don’t receive such fees for major tournaments. Some national teams, including Germany, follow the same payment structure. But other teams, including the USWNT and Australia, will be paying out bonuses on top of the FIFA money.
According to The Times, players are set to push for additional bonuses to be put in place in the future, but negotiations for the World Cup began too late.
England players also are frustrated over a media “blackout,” which began at the start of England’s camp on June 19. According to players, the inability to participate in media opportunities has caused them to miss out on deals. And what deals they were able to negotiate were crammed into one week, or even in some cases one day.
English clubs are pushing back at national teams’ World Cup preparations, opting to release their players just 10 days before the tournament so they have more time to rest after their club seasons, the Telegraph reports.
The move follows FIFA regulations, which state that clubs are obliged to release their players for national team duty on July 10. But the proposed date comes weeks after many national team camps are scheduled to take place.
The European Club Association has told women’s national teams that players will not be available until the international window officially starts due to concerns about player welfare.
“The issue of early call-ups is a hangover from the game in its amateur form and is detrimental to the future success and growth of women’s football,” ECA head of women’s football Claire Bloomfield told the Telegraph. “They also generate a great deal of unnecessary tension in the relationship between clubs and their players.”
The ECA has also written to FIFA to ask for their support. As the list of injured women’s soccer stars continues to grow, the ECA believes that players need more rest and an actual offseason.
Many national teams had planned to start their training camps in mid-June, with the intention of traveling to Australia and New Zealand in early July to give their players time to get acclimated before games begin. England is currently scheduled to fly to Australia on July 5.
FIFA will compensate clubs for releasing their players after July 10.
“This is not a matter of financial compensation or the absence of adequate protection and insurance, but a serious concern for player welfare,” Bloomfield told the Telegraph. “We were given a very clear mandate by our member clubs, which includes engaging in constructive and direct communication with our key stakeholders and partners, and this will be our focus in the coming days.”
A number of high-profile stars have suffered injuries in recent months, including England captain Leah Williamson, England forward Beth Mead and Dutch star Vivianne Miedema are all out with ACL injuries. England defender Lucy Bronze also underwent a knee surgery this week that isn’t expected to keep her out of the World Cup.
The WSL is set to conclude on May 27, and the Women’s Champions League final will be played on June 3. England, Sweden, Denmark and Norway are said to be among the national teams requesting clubs to release players for a mid-June training camp start.
There is also concern over the World Cup’s Aug. 20 end date, which gives players very little time to rest before Champions League first-round qualifiers begin as early as Sept. 6. The 2023-24 WSL season then begins the final weekend of September, with another international break scheduled for mid-September.
The NWSL and the USWNT underwent a similar dispute in February ahead of the NWSL season, which has since been resolved.
The U.S. women’s national team remains the favorite to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and the field looks as wide open as ever after a wild international window.
While the USWNT looked shaky in its two wins against Ireland, several of its competitors did not fair any better.
England fell 2-0 to World Cup co-host Australia, snapping its 30-match unbeaten streak, while Germany lost to Brazil for the first time since the 2008 Olympics. Sweden tied with long shot Norway, and France bested Olympic gold medal-winner Canada.
After the break, the USWNT leads all odds at +275 to win its third straight World Cup, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
England follows with +350 odds. That represents a slight change from January, when both England and the USWNT were tied with odds of +300 to win the World Cup trophy. At that time, Spain stood in third with +600 odds, while France and Germany tied for fourth at +700.
Spain and Germany now are tied for third at +650, while France is fourth at +750.
Sweden’s odds have slipped to +1400, while Australia remains at +1400 and is now tied for fifth. The Netherlands (+1600), Canada (+2500) and Brazil (+2500) also remain the same.
The international window represented the last chance to see national teams in action before World Cup rosters are finalized. The USWNT next takes the pitch at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 9, in San Jose, California, for a World Cup send-off match against Wales.
The United Kingdom government will put £600 million toward equal athletic opportunities for girls as a result of a push from the England women’s national team.
“We want every young girl in the nation to be able to play football at school,” the Lionesses wrote an open letter to government leaders last August after winning England’s first Euros title.
Just 67% of schools offer equal access to soccer in their physical education curriculum, according to the country’s Football Association. And just 46% of schools offer girls the same extracurricular activities as boys.
With the new standards set by the government, schools will be required to offer at least two hours of physical education per week as well as equal access to sporting activities — including soccer.
“The success of the summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football,” England captain Leah Williamson said. “We see it as our responsibility to open the doors for them to do so and this announcement makes that possible. This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said that England’s Euros win “can now live on with a legacy,” adding that the government’s plans have “the ability to change the future of women’s football.”
An announcement that will change women's football in England forever, and the start of something truly special. 👏
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) March 8, 2023
Take it away, @leahcwilliamson and @lottewubbenmoy...#LetGirlsPlay | #IWD2023 pic.twitter.com/OQaOPr9u59
The £600 million funding package will support the improvements to the physical education curriculum and extracurricular activities in primary schools.
“Last year the Lionesses’ victory changed the game,” U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. “Young girls know when they take to the pitch that football is for them and, thanks to the Lionesses, they too could be a part of the next generation to bring it home for their country. We want schools to build on this legacy.”
Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the Best FIFA Women’s Player award for the second straight year, beating out fellow finalists Beth Mead of England and Alex Morgan of the United States.
Putellas tore her ACL last summer ahead of the Euros but led FC Barcelona to their third-straight Primera División title before her injury. She becomes the first repeat winner of the award since its introduction in 2016.
The 29-year-old midfielder also won the Ballon d’Or for the second consecutive year last October, and she became the first player to win back-to-back UEFA Women’s Player of the Year awards last August.
On top of the world. 💫
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) February 27, 2023
@alexiaputellas has been crowned #TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2022! pic.twitter.com/Wtcgg8SUmO
Morgan was the lone U.S. women’s national team player to make the 14-player shortlist for award. She was also the lone USWNT or NWSL player to make the FIFA Women’s World 11.
The 33-year-old striker won the NWSL Golden Boot in 2022, scoring 15 goals in the regular season for the San Diego Wave.
✨ The 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Women's #World11:
— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) February 27, 2023
🇨🇱 @TianeEndler
🏴 @LucyBronze
🇪🇸 @MapiLeon16
🇫🇷 @WRenard
🏴 @LeahCWilliamson
🇩🇪 Lena Oberdorf
🇪🇸 @AlexiaPutellas
🏴 @Keira_Walsh
🇦🇺 @SamKerr1
🏴 @BMeado9
🇺🇸 @AlexMorgan13
Chosen by the players, for the players.@FIFAWWC | #TheBest pic.twitter.com/hwsPtOLgG1
While Mead, like Morgan, lost out to Putellas, the Lionesses had a strong showing at the ceremony. The 27-year-old forward finished behind Putellas after she helped push England to its first Euros title. She also stars for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps, who also plays for the WSL’s Manchester United, won Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper. And England manager Sarina Wiegman won Best FIFA Women’s Coach after leading the Lionesses to the Euros title
“It’s incredible to be here right now & celebrate women’s football,” Wiegman said in her acceptance speech. “The dangers, we have to take care of too. Yes, we want to develop, but we need to do the right things. We’re competing on the pitch, but off it we have to work as a team to grow it more.”
Nominees for the awards were selected by a panel of former players, including retired USWNT star Carli Lloyd. Nominees were evaluated for their play from August 2021 through July 2022.
The winners for each award were selected through a wider vote, which included four groups: national team coaches; national team captains; soccer journalists; and fans. Each group received equal weight (25%) in the process.
The United States women’s national team enters 2023 as co-favorites to win the World Cup, according to DraftKings.
Along with England, the USWNT’s odds are +300 to take home the World Cup trophy, which would be their third straight tile after they won the 2015 and 2019 tournaments. Spain comes in at third with +600 odds, while France and Germany are tied for fourth at +400.
It's officially a World Cup year. Here are the current odds to win the 🏆
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) January 2, 2023
England +300
USA +300
Spain +600
France +700
Germany +700
Sweden +1200
Australia +1400
Netherlands +1600
Canada +2500
Brazil +2500
(odds via @DraftKings) pic.twitter.com/jO9zyxm3UC
The USWNT held onto their No. 1 FIFA ranking at the end of 2022, but they experienced some turbulence throughout the year. The last few months included the team’s first three-game losing streak since 1993, with losses to England, Spain and Germany — three of the world’s best teams. Despite that, the U.S. enters 2023 poised to return some of its best players from injury.
Catarina Macario, who ruptured her ACL during the UEFA Women’s Champions League final last summer, is expected to return at some point in February. Christen Press, who also tore her ACL at the beginning of the NWSL season, could return around the same time.
Other stars like Sam Mewis and Tobin Heath are also recovering from injuries, though their timelines remain unclear. Defender Crystal Dunn will likely see more playing time in 2023 after giving birth to her first child in 2022.
A number of young players have stepped up in their absence, giving the USWNT more depth options for the World Cup roster. Most notably, Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh have established themselves on the frontline, and Naomi Girma was a force at center-back in her first year with the team.
While much has been made of the USWNT’s injury status, they appear poised to have reinforcements ready in time for the World Cup, just as other national teams are weathering the absences of star players.
Previous odds could also lend further insight into the USWNT’s chances in 2023. According to Fox Sports, the USWNT entered the 2019 tournament as co-favorites to win the title (+350), and in 2015, their odds were +300, the best of any team.
“No country has won three straight World Cups on the men’s or women’s side,” soccer analyst David Mosse told Fox Sports last July. “But if Catarina Macario comes back strong and youngsters like Sophia Smith continue to develop, the U.S. is more than capable of accomplishing that feat.”
Notably, Canada has +2500 odds to win the World Cup, putting the reigning Olympic gold medalists behind eight other teams. Spain’s chances could also improve if Alexia Putellas returns from her ACL injury sooner than expected.