The first Women's Champions Cup: what is it and should we pay attention?

"The arrival of this tournament marks Fifa's first attempt to dip a toe into women's club football. The quadrennial Women's Club World Cup, first mooted by Gianni Infantino in 2019, was projected to start this year but was postponed until January 2028. To fill the gap, they brought forward the introduction of this secondary competition that will act as an annual touch point for clubs across the world according to Fifa's director of elite women's football, Sarah Booth."

"This week London will take centre stage as the inaugural Women's Champions Cup, the brand-new club competition in women's football, comes to its conclusion. Four continental champions Arsenal, Gotham FC, Corinthians and AS Far will meet in Brentford on Wednesday for a place in the final, which will be held at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. With $2.3m (1.68m) in prize money and a shiny new trophy on the line, it is far from insignificant for the teams involved."

"In this inaugural edition, Wuhan Chegu Jiangda (AFC Champions League 2024-25 winners) beat Auckland United (OFC Women's Champions League 2025) in the first round. They then faced AS Far (Caf Women's Champions League 2025) in the next round in December. The Moroccan champions came through that encounter in dramatic fashion, thanks to Hajar Said's 89th-minute equaliser and Sanaa Mssoudy's extra-time winner to set up a semi-final date with Arsenal."

London will host the inaugural Women's Champions Cup, with semi-finals in Brentford and a final at the Emirates Stadium. Four continental champions — Arsenal, Gotham FC, Corinthians and AS Far — will compete for a $2.3m prize pool and a new trophy. Public understanding of the tournament remains limited despite its significance to participating teams. Fifa introduced the competition as an annual touch point for clubs worldwide after postponing the quadrennial Women's Club World Cup until January 2028. The competition features six confederation champions each edition. In the inaugural edition Wuhan Chegu Jiangda beat Auckland United, then lost to AS Far, who advanced after an 89th-minute equaliser and an extra-time winner to face Arsenal.

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