The United States is on track to host the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup in January 2028, marking the latest major Fifa tournament in North America. Talks to bring the event to America are highly advanced, with Los Angeles and San Diego emerging as preferred host cities.
Although not yet finalized, the route is clear for the US to stage the 19-team tournament without a formal bidding process, despite Qatar’s previous discussions with Fifa about hosting.
The winter schedule avoids conflicting with the men’s Copa America, which the US is favored to host in June and July 2028, but it contributes to a demanding year-round calendar for elite players. Sandwiched between the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, the event will require fully fit squads. Several leading clubs support a rule capping players at one international tournament annually, regardless of whether it is for club or country.
Fifa aims to use the Club World Cup as a test run for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which the US will co-host with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, pending formal approval at an Extraordinary Fifa Congress on 23 November.
The governing body wants to evaluate stadium infrastructure, ticket pricing, and demand at the compact 19-team event ahead of the 48-team World Cup three years later. However, preparation time is limited, as the tournament kicks off on 5 January 2028.
Reports indicate that the turmoil surrounding Fifa’s leadership, particularly Gianni Infantino’s failed FFE initiative, has caused significant delays in hosting decisions. In July, Europe’s top clubs warned they would boycott future Club World Cups unless the FFE project was abandoned. They also insisted that a joint venture between European clubs and Fifa—currently in outline but not yet signed—must be finalized before television rights for the women’s tournament can be sold.
The 2029 men’s Club World Cup also lacks a host. While the US has shown interest, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal appear more likely to co-host if the women’s event is confirmed, as they will jointly stage the men’s World Cup the following year.
Fifa was contacted for comment.