Synergy Sports
Mumbai: The inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup is set to make history not just on the pitch, but also financially, with FIFA announcing a record-breaking prize money structure that marks a major leap forward for women’s club football globally.
The winners of the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, to be crowned on Sunday, 1 February 2026 at Arsenal Stadium in London, will receive an unprecedented USD 2.3 million, the highest single payout ever awarded in women’s club football. The runners-up will earn USD 1 million, underlining FIFA’s intent to elevate the status, value and competitiveness of the women’s club game.
Teams reaching the semi-finals will also be rewarded, with each losing semi-finalist receiving USD 200,000 as participation payments. Meanwhile, clubs eliminated in the earlier rounds – OFC representatives Auckland United FC (New Zealand) and AFC champions Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC (China PR) – will receive USD 100,000 each. In total, close to USD 4 million will be distributed among the six participating clubs based on performance.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström described the prize structure as a strong statement of belief in women’s club football.
“A total payout of close to USD 4 million distributed among the six participants based on their performance is a clear statement of the belief in women’s club football and the players, teams and competitions driving its continued rise,” Grafström said.
“It reflects the global growth of the women’s game and FIFA’s commitment to making targeted, meaningful investments that strengthen women’s club football for the long term.”
The FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2026™ is a key pillar of FIFA’s broader strategy to accelerate the development of women’s club football worldwide. Following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, FIFA distributed USD 11.3 million to 1,041 clubs globally through its Club Benefits Programme, reinforcing support at the grassroots and elite levels.
These initiatives are further complemented by reforms to the Women’s International Match Calendar and the launch of new elite competitions, including the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup™, set to debut in 2028. The tournament will introduce progressive measures such as training compensation, club solidarity mechanisms and minimum standards programmes aimed at improving club performance and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Tournament details
The FIFA Women’s Champions Cup brings together the top women’s club from each confederation to crown the world’s first intercontinental women’s club champions. The final phase of the maiden edition will be held in London from 28 January to 1 February 2026.
The semi-finals will take place at Brentford Stadium on Wednesday, 28 January. Gotham FC (USA), the Concacaf champions, will face SC Corinthians (Brazil), winners of CONMEBOL followed by Arsenal Women FC (England), the UEFA Women’s Champions League holders, taking on CAF champions ASFAR (Morocco).
The action will culminate at Arsenal Stadium on Sunday, 1 February, with the third-place play-off scheduled, before the historic final, where the first FIFA Women’s Champions Cup winners will be crowned.
