Qatar is being considered as a host for the first Women’s Club World Cup, raising questions over logistics, integrity and women’s football development.
Qatar is reportedly interested in hosting the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, as FIFA prepares to launch the competition in January 2028.
The tournament was approved by the FIFA Council in March 2025 as part of an overhaul of the women’s club calendar. According to FIFA, the competition is designed to sit at the top of the women’s club calendar, featuring teams from all six confederations at a neutral venue.
The Women’s Club World Cup will feature 19 teams. Six clubs, one from each confederation, will enter a play-in stage, with the three winners advancing to the group phase alongside 13 directly qualified teams. Europe will receive five automatic places, while Asia, Africa, Concacaf and CONMEBOL will each have two.
The competition will be staged every four years and run alongside the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, a separate annual competition set to take place later this month in London which sees the six continental champions compete.
Speaking when the formats were confirmed, FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the Women’s Club World Cup as a “defining moment” for women’s club football, arguing global competitions are now required to match the rapid growth seen at international level.
FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis also added at the time that the new tournaments are intended to “raise standards, provide invaluable opportunities for growth and local development and generate new revenue.”
How likely is Qatar to play host?
FIFA has yet to confirm a host or launch a formal bidding process for the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, but the winter schedule limits the field. Winter conditions across Europe and North America, in addition with the requirement for a single neutral venue, make the Middle East a logical option from a logistical standpoint.
Qatar’s interest also comes amid its deepening relationship with the governing body. Since hosting the men’s 2022 World Cup, the country has become a common destination for global football events, recently staging the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup.
One advantage to Qatar hosting tournaments is its compact infrastructure model, with eight stadiums built for the 2022 World Cup remaining in use and are all located within close proximity, reducing travel demands for teams, officials, broadcasters and fans.
Speaking to Insider Sport last year, Beyond Hospitality Executive Chairman Jaime Byrom said the certainty offered was a key differentiator.
“All the visitors, all the working groups, whether it was the broadcasters or the sponsors or the fans, they all knew where they had to be during the tournament,” he said. “That was one of the strengths of Qatar.”
Byrom highlighted the clarity around venues and scheduling allowed stakeholders to plan months in advance, contributing to record hospitality demand during the 2022 tournament.
He also explained Qatar’s ability to deliver premium hospitality and fan services at scale, noting expectations around service levels in the region are high and operators have used previous FIFA events to develop tiered offerings which cater to both high-end and family audiences.
However, any move to award the Women’s Club World Cup to Qatar would not be without controversy. The country faced sustained criticism during the men’s World Cup over human rights concerns and its stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
There are also sporting considerations as Qatar has a limited history in the women’s game, with its national team inactive for over a decade and no FIFA ranking.
Insider Sport has reached out to UK non-profit Women in Football for its perspective on Qatar hosting the tournament.
