The FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2027™ will provide a major boost to the women’s game as it provides “an opportunity to showcase” the world’s top talent and “incentivises investment”, FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis has said.

The second edition of the first global competition for women’s club football will kick off later this year with the Asian champions Naegohyang Women's Football Club of DPR Korea facing Oceania title-holders Auckland United. The winner of that tie will then take on their African counterparts for a place in the last four where European champions FC Barcelona Femení and Concacaf winners Club América Femenil of Mexico already await.

They will be joined by the South American champions when the semi-finals kick off in Miami, Florida next January, where one team will follow inaugural winners Arsenal Women FC as global club champions.

“First and foremost, you've already seen the impact when you create a competition like this,” said Ellis as Nu Stadium – the home of Inter Miami CF – was announced as the venue for the competition’s climax. “Before we announced this competition, there were two confederations that had a competition for all of their clubs. Now, we've got all six of our confederations around the world competing for a pathway to this final event. So, it incentivises investment.

“It's also an opportunity to showcase – much like our FIFA World Cups do to the world – the very best players, the very best teams to the entire world. It helps bring to the forefront ideas like minimum standards in clubs, and the overall idea behind building club football is to showcase and invest and continue to develop the women's game.”

As well as being an unprecedented opportunity for the players to showcase their ability on the global stage in the colours of their club, the tournament serves as the next step along the road to the first FIFA Women’s Club World Cup™, which will take place in January 2028.

In addition to the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™, held for the first time in 2025, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™, the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup is a major part of the portfolio of tournaments FIFA has either introduced or revamped to shine a light on the women’s game.

“In my playing days, the best you could aspire to was to win a CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores,” said Isabella Echeverri, former Colombia international and FIFA Legend. “Now, we have these new club tournaments through which FIFA is developing a truly global competition that serves as a platform for women to show their talent to other clubs, cities and stadiums. It's incredible to see how much women's football has grown. I'd give anything to be 10 years younger and step onto the pitch.”

Ellis added: “I always say the club is the home of the player, and the more we can do to invest, to grow and develop the clubs and the leagues around the world, the better our global landscape becomes for the players.”

One of the stages for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Miami will now be the focus of the football world’s attention once again. The glamourous cosmopolitan American city will be both “the perfect host” – as Ellis called it – and establish the ideal environment for growth.

“The best thing about this exchange is that many girls, on a global level, will be watching. For the first time, they'll suddenly see the best players in the world competing in a tournament like this,” said Echeverri.

“For those that are already professionals, it's an amazing high-level tournament where they can show off their talent. For young girls, it's an opportunity to realise that they can dream about being professional footballers. The dream is there. They just have to work very hard and believe in themselves.”