The host of the 2022 Men's World Cup is back in the headlines, with Middle East nation Qatar reportedly in talks with FIFA to house the inaugural Women's Club World Cup in January 2028.
Despite recent gains on the men's side, the Qatar women’s national team is currently unranked due to a lack of official matches — founded in 2009, the squad has not competed in any official capacity in 12 years.
The lack of support for the nation's women's team is unsurprising given Qatar's concerning human rights record — one that the soccer world has long called into question, particularly concerning the treatment of women, migrants, and the LGBTQIA+ population.
The reported aim to host the 2028 Women's Club World Cup would constitute another example of Qatar sportswashing those international human rights concerns using the country's close relationship with the international soccer governing body — one bolstered by the fact that FIFA president Gianni Infantino resides in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Despite this week's reports, FIFA said they have yet to receive a formal bid for its first-ever women's club competition.
With 16 teams expected to compete from January 5th through 30th, 2028, European clubs are already bracing for calendar disruptions thanks to the Women's Club World Cup's winter kick-off.
At least five teams from Europe and two each from Asia, Africa, South America, and North America will compete, with the remaining three clubs determined by a 2027 qualifying tournament.
As the 2028 LA Olympics come into focus, the FIFA Council unveiled the regional allocations for the Summer Games' first-ever 16-team women's soccer tournament this week.
According to the Council's Wednesday report, 2.5 slots will go to AFC (Asia), 2 to CAF (Africa), 3 to Concacaf (North and Central America), 2.5 to Conmebol (South America), 1 to OFC (Oceania), and 4 to UEFA (Europe), with one additional slot reserved, as always, for the host nation — the reigning Olympic gold medalist USWNT.
While the expanded competition allows for greater depth, one AFC and one Conmebol team will ostensibly have to face an inter-continental playoff to determine which region can send an additional team to the 2028 Olympics.
One the other hand, Concacaf's representation will double from 2024, growing from two to four teams given the automatic berth of the USWNT.
Similarly, after host nation France's autobid boosted UEFA'a 2024 allocation to three teams, this week's new distribution doubles the European confederation's previous non-host two-team max for the LA Games — meaning all four of the 2027 UEFA Nations League semifinalists will qualify to compete for gold in 2028.
Notably, CAF and OFC are the only confederations to not see an increase on their previous allocation from the FIFA Council.
The stars of last summer's Euro ruled the 2025 FIFA Best Awards on Tuesday, as international players for world No. 1 Spain and No. 4 England shut out the competition at the annual ceremony in Qatar.
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won her third straight Best Women's Player of the Year award, after finishing as a runner up at both the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League and this year's Euros.
"I'm grateful to have the award, it's for all the players all the coaches and the fans, thanks very much," Bonmatí told the crowd, as the reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to recover from a broken leg.
The 2025 Euro tournament also influenced the 2025 FIFA Women's Best XI, with the lineup exclusively featuring Spain and England standouts.
Joining Bonmatí on the FIFA roster were Spain teammates Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Clàudia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas, with Euro champion Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo, and Hannah Hampton rounding out the field.
Hampton also picked up Goalkeeper of the Year honors, with England boss Sarina Wiegman snagging the 2025 Coach of the Year award.
Months after a controversial 2025 Ballon d'Or ballot, FIFA took a similarly narrow Euro-centric view of success at the individual level for this year's Best Awards.
The latest FIFA women's soccer rankings dropped on Thursday, with Spain widening their lead at No. 1 after winning a second consecutive UEFA Nations League title earlier this month.
The USWNT held steady at No. 2, ceding 7.48 points after losing an October friendly to No. 22 Portugal before going on to secure four straight wins over Portugal, No. 35 New Zealand, and No. 13 Italy to close out 2025.
Elsewhere in the FIFA Top 10, No. 3 Germany and No. 6 Brazil both saw boosts after successful fall runs, while Canada skidded to No. 10 amid a recent five-match winless streak, with Les Rouges's last victory coming against No. 43 Costa Rica last June.
The biggest changes, however, occurred outside the top ranks, as No. 96 Nicaragua, No. 118 Burkina Faso, and No. 137 American Samoa all rose by 16 spots.
Notably, upcoming USWNT opponent Paraguay saw the largest drop in this month's Top 50, sliding five spots to No. 46.
Ultimately, as the USWNT battled to keep pace in a year of roster experimentation — and without a major competition on the team's 2025 docket — the many international competitions in Europe benefitted victors and challenged losers in this week's FIFA rankings update.
US Soccer submitted its World Cup bid book to FIFA last week, naming 14 US stadiums among the 2031 tournament's 20+ proposed North American host venues.
The four-country joint bid for the 2031 World Cup spanned cities across host nations USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, with the quartet collectively identifying 50 potential stadiums while also designating their proposed core of 20 venues.
In the US, stadiums in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Seattle made the proposed shortlist, as well as Arlington, Texas, and East Rutherford, New Jersey, among others.
Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Torreón made Mexico's primary proposal, while Costa Rica and Jamaica put forward San Jose and Kingston, respectively.
The bid includes both soccer and football venues, with secondary venues also listed as possible options in eight of the first-choice US cities.
Additionally, the bid book pegged Atlanta as the World Cup draw host and Dallas as the tournament's international broadcast center, though FIFA will likely not make final decisions on 2031 venues until after the 2027 competition in Brazil.
"By proposing more than the required 20 sites, the joint bidders demonstrate a commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and ensuring the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale," FIFA stated.
Orlando Pride captain and Brazil legend Marta is back in the spotlight, topping the 2025 shortlist for the second-annual FIFA Marta Award — the women's goal-of-the-year prize established in her honor in 2024.
The 39-year-old attacking midfielder took home the inaugural trophy at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony last December, earning the title for a stellar long-range shot that helped lift Brazil over Jamaica 4-0 in a June 2024 friendly.
Marta's 2025 nomination, however, comes from an iconic goal in club play, with the FIFA Award spotlighting the Orlando game-winner against Kansas City in the 2024 NWSL semifinals — a goal that saw the Pride star force four Current players to the ground with her footwork.
Marta has steep competition for this year's trophy, however, with 10 other goal nominees including a viral scorpion kick by former Tigres UANL star Lizbeth Ovalle, Seattle Reign defender Jordyn Bugg's long-range missile against the North Carolina Courage, forward Ally Sentnor's first-ever USWNT goal at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, and more.
How to vote for the 2025 FIFA Marta Award
Holding 50% of the vote, fans can view and rank their top three goals of 2025 until voting closes on December 3rd.
Voting for the second-ever Marta Award winner is now open at FIFA.com.
The 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup spread further around Concacaf on Monday, as Costa Rica and Jamaica officially joined the previously announced Mexico and the US in submitting an uncontested bid to host the international tournament.
"Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to host the biggest and most impactful Women's World Cup in history, one that will inspire a new generation of fans and help grow the women's game across our entire region and around the world," said US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone in a Monday statement.
"This bid is a reflection of our shared belief that soccer can be a force for good," added US Soccer CEO JT Batson. "We're not only creating an unforgettable moment for athletes and fans, we're building a lasting foundation to grow the women's game at every level, in every country."
Parlow Cone also noted that more than 30 US cities have already expressed interest in hosting some of the 104 games during the newly expanded 48-team tournament, with Jamaica poised to make history as the first-ever Caribbean nation to welcome a senior World Cup match.
"This will have a huge impact on the psyche of every single Jamaican," said Jamaican Football Federation president Michael Ricketts. "It is no ordinary feat for a small country like ours to host World Cup matches.... This is huge for Jamaica and for every person who proudly calls themselves Jamaican."
With no other bids on the table, FIFA is on track to ratify its 2031 hosting decision at the next FIFA Congress in April 2026.
Former San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis is back in the headlines, with the NWSL club's owners — private equity billionaire couple Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine — filing a lawsuit against Ellis on Monday for allegedly promising to stay on after the team's 2024 sale, only to resign days later in order to accept a new job as FIFA's Chief Football Officer.
According to the lawsuit, Ellis leveraged her longstanding friendship with Leichtman and Levine to convince them to purchase the San Diego Wave at a then-record price of $120 million, with the Levine Leichtman Family Office calling Ellis "a very attractive asset" that helped push the deal — and its nine-figure sticker price — across the line.
Though Ellis and other negotiators allegedly assured Leichtman and Levine that she would helm the NWSL club "for many years to come," Ellis resigned just two days after the sale closed, reportedly telling the new owners that she had "no intention of continuing any involvement with Wave FC."
Monday's court filing claims that Ellis and other unnamed defendants committed intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, concealment, and false promise, and requests damages as Ellis's departure allegedly resulted in an estimated $40 million in lost revenue.
Ellis's attorney deemed the suit "meritless," calling it retaliation for the former USWNT manager's ongoing pursuit of $1.2 million in deferred payments reportedly guaranteed by her original contract with the San Diego Wave.
As for the team, the NWSL club is staying out of it, releasing a statement saying, "This is a legal matter between the Levine Leichtman Family Office and Jill Ellis. San Diego Wave FC is not a party to this lawsuit."
The 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations dropped on Thursday, and only two USWNT players earned nods on the 30-athlete shortlist for soccer's most prestigious individual honor.
US and Arsenal defender Emily Fox earned her first career nomination after the 27-year-old won 2024 Olympic gold with the USWNT and the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League with her club side.
With her third career Ballon d'Or nod, USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps joined Fox on Thursday's 2025 list after leading the US in Paris last summer and playing another strong season with OL Lyonnes.
While the first half of 2025 has been admittedly quiet for USWNT without a major continental tournament on the docket this year — and many of the team's heavy hitters sidelined for various reasons — the Ballon d'Or's consideration timeframe includes their Olympic gold-medal run, making the team's lack of nods a bit head-scratching.
It's far from the first time that the award's shortlist has fallen short. Awarded by French magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or has long been criticized for heavily favoring athletes who play in Europe. Of the 30 2025 nominees, only six play for clubs outside of Europe — five of them in the NWSL.
Notably, only one US player has ever won the Ballon d'Or, with the 2019 trophy lifted by USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe.
Since then, Barcelona FC have maintained a stranglehold on the award, with midfielder Aitana Bonmatí's two straight wins following attacker Alexia Putellas's back-to-back reign.
USWNT drop to No. 2 in world rankings
This week also saw the USWNT cede ground in the overall FIFA rankings, falling to world No. 2 as new No. 1 Spain claimed a narrow lead of less than two points with their 2025 Euro Final appearance.
Like the Ballon d'Or, Thursday's world ranks contained more than a few confusing shifts, with Brazil somehow falling three spots to No. 7 despite winning a fifth straight Copa América title last weekend, and England earning a mere one-spot rise to No. 4 after defeating Spain in last month's Euro.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or Féminin nominees
Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, Spain)
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain)
Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit, Italy)
Steph Catley (Arsenal, Australia)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes, Haiti)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi)
Emily Fox (Arsenal, US)
Cristiana Girelli (Juventus, Italy)
Esther González (Gotham FC, Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway)
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark)
Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras, Brazil)
Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, US)
Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, England)
Frida Maanum (Arsenal, Norway)
Marta (Orlando Pride, Brazil)
Clara Mateo (Paris FC, France)
Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
Clàudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)
Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea, Sweden)
Caroline Weir (Real Madrid, Scotland)
Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)
Embattled ex-Canada women's national team coach Bev Priestman has officially left the country, relocating to New Zealand to manage A-League Women's side Wellington Phoenix FC.
"We're really pleased to be able to welcome Bev back to football," Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison said in the club's announcement. "We all know she's had a period of time away from the game, but we understand the circumstances and we're really comfortable with this appointment."
In addition to her firing from Team Canada, Priestman served a one-year suspension from all football-related activities, finishing that mandatory moratorium this month.
FIFA issued the suspension after determining that Priestman was guilty of spying on opponents via illegal drone use during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"For me, I didn't feel safe, that's being brutally honest," she told reporters this week, commenting on the drone scandal's local fallout. "It was very difficult for my family and I have to live with that. I have to wear that."
The Wellington Phoenix — the lone New Zealand club competing in the top-flight Australian league — finished the 2024/25 season ninth out of 12 teams, with the young club soon setting their sights on a deeper run in their fifth season behind Priestman.
"It feels like Christmas Day to me to come back," said Priestman, whose wife, Wellington Phoenix FC academy director Emma Humphries, is a former New Zealand national team player. "I know I have to earn the trust of everybody. And I'll be working hard to do that."