The possible location of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup is not the only issue the competition has faced.
The WSL has described the scheduling of this event as potentially “catastrophic”.
FIFA announced the inaugural global competition designed to echo the revamped men’s Club World Cup in a tournament format. This would take place from the 5th to the 30th of January 2028.
That would be in the middle of not only the 2027-28 WSL season but the majority of major European domestic leagues.
At a time when knockout rounds and key fixtures will take place.
The competition would feature 16 teams from around the world, including up to six European clubs. From England, this would include current Champions League holders Arsenal and, based on current coefficients, potentially Chelsea, e.g., how highly ranked they are based on trophies and points.
"This is a scheduling issue rather than a strategic one. The timing is what causes us real concerns," a WSL spokesperson said.
"We are not saying we do not want FIFA to bring in new competitions. We are entirely on board with a strategy to help the women's game grow globally.
"At best it will cause us real scheduling issues; at worst it is going to be catastrophic for the game in this country, our commercial programme and more importantly the welfare of our players."
This is not the first time FIFA has introduced a mid-season competition, with the inaugural Champions Cup taking place in London on 28 January and 1 February. This difference is that this competition is nearly a month long compared to a week.
This competition, if it's to go ahead as planned, would result in up to five WSL match weeks being rescheduled, potentially leading to a fixture backlog and an impact on player welfare.
The WSL has written to FIFA with its concerns and will meet with global officials while they are in London for the Champions Cup to discuss the issue.
WSL would rather the tournament is played in the summer during a fallow year (like this summer), where there is no other major global competition, rather than disrupting the domestic schedule.
Also, it has been reported that the planned schedule for this competition was presented at a WSL meeting with club captains in recent days, with players “shocked” by how busy the calendar could get.
The fact that the Club World Cup is scheduled for between the 2027 Women's World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics is also a concern.
"There are no gaps," a WSL spokesperson said. "If the tournament is in a different time zone, with the rest and recovery needed, it could lead to the rearrangement of a lot of fixtures.
"We know Arsenal will participate, and Chelsea is likely to participate as well. It would be great for our clubs, but their fixtures would probably have to move to midweek slots, which are less attractive to fans. It is delicate timing."
The WSL is now considering its options, although asking English teams to boycott the competition is not currently on the table.
One option being considered is moving the WSL winter break – which usually takes place over Christmas and New Year – so it covers the Club World Cup in the 2027-28 season.
Though teams and players who would take part in this competition would not get a break, they would have to play over the festive period.
FIFA chief football officer and former United States women's national team coach Jill Ellis says the fixture congestion caused by the Club World Cup in January 2028 will be an outlier.
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