January 20 – FIFA has unveiled the trophy for its new Women’s Champions Cup ahead of the inaugural finals week in London, where the first intercontinental women’s club champion will be crowned next month.
The unveiling took place at a school close to Brentford Stadium, which will host the semi-finals on Wednesday 28 January. Former England international Alex Scott and FIFA’s Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis presented the silverware, marking the formal launch of the closing stages of a competition FIFA hopes will become a permanent fixture on the women’s club calendar.
The Women’s Champions Cup brings together continental champions from UEFA, CONMEBOL, CAF and Concacaf, with four clubs qualifying for the final phase – a tournament structure mirroring the long-established men’s intercontinental format.
Ellis said the event was about establishing the competition in the wider football landscape rather than simply symbolism. “We must take opportunities like this to engage with younger audiences and connect them with the sport,” she said. “But fundamentally, this tournament is about creating a credible global stage for the women’s club game.”
Scott described the competition as a milestone for elite women’s football. “Bringing champions from every continent together in one place matters,” she said. “It provides a benchmark for the women’s club game globally and gives players the chance to test themselves beyond their domestic and continental competitions.”
The action begins with two semi-finals at Brentford Stadium. Concacaf champions Gotham FC face Brazil’s Corinthians, winners of the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina, in the early kick-off, while UEFA Women’s Champions League holders Arsenal take on Morocco’s ASFAR, who lifted the CAF Women’s Champions League, in the evening fixture.
Both the third-place play-off and final will be held at Arsenal Stadium on Sunday 1 February, with FIFA using high-profile venues to underline the commercial and sporting ambitions of the competition.
For FIFA, the Women’s Champions Cup is also a test case. It offers a clearer view of the market for elite global women’s club football, including ticket demand, broadcast interest and sponsor engagement, all of which will shape whether the tournament expands in future editions – and whether it can be picked up by its usual roster of lucrative middle-eastern hosts.
Whether it develops into a meaningful competitive fixture or remains a showcase event will depend less on presentation and more on how clubs, players and fans respond once the football starts.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1768910855labto1768910855ofdlr1768910855owedi1768910855sni@g1768910855niwe.1768910855yrrah1768910855
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