FILE PHOTO: A flag with the logo of FIFA flies in front of its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland August 5, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The inaugural Women's Club World Cup will be pushed back to 2028 from its original date of 2026, soccer's global governing body announced on Wednesday.
Instead, the new six-team FIFA Women's Champions Cup will debut in 2026 and feature the six continental club champions, FIFA said after Wednesday's FIFA Council meeting where the new programme was approved.
"Women's football has reached new heights at national-team level, and now it's time for global competitions that showcase the best clubs from around the world," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. "These FIFA competitions will stimulate growth, inspire athletes, create new rivalries, engage more fans and crown heroes from all over the world."
The two-year delay to the Women's Club World Cup, which was first announced after a council meeting in May, is to allow stakeholders more time to prepare and give women players some breathing space in an already condensed schedule.
The Women's Club World Cup will see six teams take part in the play-in stage. The three winners will advance to the group stage and join 13 other clubs.
The AFC, CAF, Concacaf and CONMEBOL confederations will each have two direct slots, while UEFA will have five berths. The group stage will feature four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout stage.
The first three editions of the Champions Cup, meanwhile, will be held in 2026, '27 and '29.
"These are more than just new tournaments - these are drivers for the future of our sport that will raise standards, provide invaluable opportunities for growth and local development, and generate new revenue – all on a global scale," said Jill Ellis, FIFA's Chief Football Officer, and a two-times World Cup winner as a head coach.
The semi-finals and final of the inaugural Champions Cup will be held from January 28 and February 1 at a neutral venue still to be determined.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Davis)
