Arsenal and Chelsea face WSL disruption under proposed Club World Cup schedule

Arsenal and Chelsea could be absent from domestic football for up to a month during the 2027-28 season because of the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. The proposed tournament dates of 5-30 January 2028 would overlap with the Women’s Super League calendar, creating a potential scheduling problem for the English participants.

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The Guardian reported that the United States is expected to host the competition, adding transatlantic travel to the demands on European clubs. Using the current season’s domestic schedule as a guide, the newspaper calculated that a lengthy tournament run could mean missing as many as four WSL rounds and the FA Cup fourth round. Those are potential clashes, rather than a confirmed list of postponed matches.

Qualification also remains subject to approval. FIFA has not announced the criteria, but the Guardian reported that Arsenal’s 2025 Champions League title would secure their involvement under the expected system. Chelsea are also likely to qualify, although a Champions League triumph by Manchester City this season would change that: FIFA plans to limit each country to two participating clubs.

Under the arrangements described in the report, Europe would receive five direct places and one entry into a six-team preliminary competition. Three clubs from that preliminary stage would join 13 automatic qualifiers in a 16-team tournament. European places are expected to go to Champions League winners from 2023 to 2027, with remaining berths allocated through UEFA’s coefficient rankings. The process still requires FIFA Council ratification.

Chelsea stand third in the relevant four-year coefficient table, behind Barcelona and Lyon, with a 17-point advantage over Bayern Munich that the Guardian reported cannot be overturned. That ranking puts Chelsea in a strong position, but the proposed national limit leaves their participation dependent on the outcome of this season’s European competition. It is not yet an unconditional qualification.

The WSL declined to comment, telling the newspaper it had not yet been informed of FIFA’s plans. Its winter break runs from 21 December to 10 January this season, but shifting the pause to cover the entire proposed tournament is not considered practical amid an already crowded calendar. Rescheduled league games would also compete for space with the Champions League knockout phase, which begins in early February.