FIFA Women's Club World Cup

FIFA Women's Club World Cup
Founded 2018
Region International (FIFA)
Number of teams 7

The FIFA Women's Club World Cup is a proposed international women's association football competition that is being organised by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition is currently in only planning mode.

A possible format of the tournament is not announced. The men's FIFA Club World Cup involves seven teams, including the six continental club champions and the host nation's national club champions. In the women's tournament the winners of that year's Copa Libertadores Femenina (South America) and UEFA Women's Champions League (Europe) will likely enter. As of 2018, no Asian, African, North American or Oceanic continental tournaments are being played.

History

The International Women's Club Championship (IWCC) was the first international annual competition contested by women's champion clubs. The competition was founded and organised by the Japan Football Association and the L. League.[1] The first International Women's Club Championship took place in Japan in November 2012 with participation from four teams: Olympique Lyonnais (Europe), Canberra United (Australia), INAC Kobe Leonessa (Japan) and NTV Beleza (cup winner, Japan).[2]

In October 2012, L-League's senior executive, Taguchi Yoshinori, announced that he intended the IWCC run for three years and expand to include more continental champions.[3] It was also envisaged that FIFA would ultimately endorse the tournament as a female equivalent of the FIFA Club World Cup.[4]

In October 2013, FIFA's Executive Committee heard a proposal from their Women's Football Task Force to explore the idea of an official FIFA Women's Club World Cup.[5] The following month Brazilian broadcaster Globo reported that FIFA had already sanctioned a separate Club World Championship, with similarities to the men's Intercontinental Cup, to be contested by the 2013 Copa Libertadores Femenina champions São José and 2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League champions VfL Wolfsburg during 2014.[6] However, the match never progressed beyond the planning stages. In 2015 the FIFA Women's Football Task Force again proposed the creation of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.[7]

In August 2015, the Women's Football Task Force confirmed that the FIFA Women's Club World Cup was a work-in-progress. The Task Force also proposed an increase in teams and in development of competitions at confederation level in relation to the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.[8]

A friendly played between Arsenal L.F.C. (FA Women's Cup holders) and Seattle Reign FC (NWSL Shield holders) on 26 May 2016 (finished with a draw of 1–1) at Memorial Stadium, Seattle was described as "a stepping stone to the grand idea of a FIFA Women's Club World Cup."[9]

In 2017, Chief Women's Football Officer Sarai Bareman mentioned the possibility of a Women's Club World Cup, "we have to be very careful about how we introduce it, when we introduce it and it has to include all regions. As you well know, not all regions are at the same development level but there’s an amazing opportunity that exists, but we have to be very strategic and careful about how we do it."[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kessel, Anna (29 November 2013). "Chelsea Ladies anticipate 'mind-blowing' reception in Japan for IWCC". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Women's round-up: November 2012". FIFA. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  3. ↑ International women’s club championship set for November Japan Football Association, Oct 18, 2012, viewed Nov. 23, 2012
  4. ↑ "１１月に国際女子クラブ選手権初開催！日テレなど参加 (International Women's Club Championship will be first held in November! NTV etc. participate)" (in Japanese). Japan. Sports Nippon. 2012-10-17. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  5. ↑ FIFA ExCo exploring idea of Women’s Club World Cup Equalizer Soccer, Oct 4, 2013, viewed Nov 30, 2013
  6. ↑ "Fifa estuda Mundial de futebol feminino entre São José e Wolfsburg". Globo Esporte (in Portuguese). Rede Globo. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "FIFA Task Force for Women's Football proposes a FIFA Women's Club World Cup". fifa.com. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "Task Force calls for greater inclusion and participation of women". fifa.com. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Seattle Reign play Arsenal to a draw". sounderatheart.com.
  10. ↑ "FIFA's Chief Women's Football Officer Sarai Bareman discusses the future of the game – Part 1". offsiderulepodcast.com. 30 October 2017.
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