The first edition of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be contested by 16 teams in January-February 2026. Arsenal Women will very much want to be part of that elite tournament, but their performance in the UEFA Women’s Champions league 2024-25 could well dictate whether they can qualify.
The FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said that the new competition would keep the momentum going for women’s football in the wake of the transformative and record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. “It’s crucial, after the huge, huge success in Australia and New Zealand at the last (FIFA) Women’s World Cup, where we had two million viewers in the stadiums (and) two billion around the world, that we build on that success to create new global competitions, because national team football is obviously based on club football as well,” he said following the FIFA Council meeting.
Our Gunners have won the Women’s Champions League only once in the tournament’s history, and they remain the only English club to have done so, but that win was way back in 2007, under the legendary Vic Akers.
Arsenal’s 2022-23 Women’s Champions League campaign was the best that they had achieved in a decade, when they made it to the semi-finals of the tournament. Emirates Stadium was SOLD OUT for the first time, by the Arsenal Women’s team, and the atmosphere was electric! But, unfortunately, our Gunners suffered a devastating loss in the Champions League semi-final to two-time champions Wolfsburg, who secured a 3-2 victory with a goal in the 119th minute of extra-time..
Amazing highlights – Arsenal Women heart-broken after last-gasp winner from Wolfsburg
Arsenal’s 2023-24 Women’s Champions League campaign did not really get out of the starting blocks. Having secured 3rd place in their 2022-23 WSL campaign, our Gunners entered the competition in the Round 1 qualifying stages and didn’t make it out of there, into Round 2, after a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Paris FC on penalties..
In the 2023-24 WSL campaign Arsenal Women again finished 3rd, after some fairly inconsistent performances through the season. Therefore, once again, Arsenal will enter the Champions League competition in the Round 1 qualifying stages. Can our Gunners make it to Round 2 this year? Can they make it to the Group stages? That all remains to be seen when the new season starts.. Arsenal Women have a pre-season USA tour in August 2024, before entering Round 1 of the Champions League qualifiers in mid-September.
So, how do Arsenal Women qualify for the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup?
The UEFA Women’s Champions League 2024/25 could well be the qualifying tournament for the Club World Cup. Or FIFA could use the same process as the men’s qualifiers using club ranking. We await the selection particulars which will be released by FIFA in due course.
What do you think of the new Women’s Club World Cup Gooners?
Michelle M
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