<p>FIFA officially announced a Women’s Club World Cup will happen for the first time in early 2026. The decision was made regarding the tournament at an annual meeting on Wednesday. The FIFA Council gathered ahead of the 74th FIFA Congress in Thailand to discuss a wide range of topics. </p>



<p>A majority of the meetings, however, surrounded the future of women’s soccer. As a result, FIFA confirmed the 2026-2029 women’s international calendar. A significant piece of this new schedule will include the Women’s Club World Cup. </p>



<p>The men’s version of the competition was initially introduced back in 2000. Interest in the club tournament has not exactly met FIFA’s expectations. Consequently, the sport’s governing body has recently opted to drastically increase the men’s Club World Cup to include 32 total teams. The newly reformatted competition will debut in the United States in 2025.</p>



<h2>Women’s Club World Cup to only take place every 4 years</h2>



<p>The upcoming Women’s Club World Cup will follow the new suit of the men’s competition and happen every four years. Starting in 2026, the Women’s Club World Cup will also only happen once every four years. Plans are also in place to only allow 16 teams to feature in the women’s tournament.</p>



<p>The 2026 Women’s Club World Cup will feature the best teams from across the globe. UEFA, however, currently has a stronghold on the women’s club rankings. In fact, 22 European teams recently cracked the top 25 <a href="https://iffhs.com/posts/3303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coefficient ratings</a> by the International Federation of Football History &amp; Statistics (IFFHS). Nevertheless, clubs from South America, North America and Africa all featured in the top 70 of the rankings.</p>



<p>Along with officially scheduling the new tournament, FIFA members made alterations to the women’s calendar. The governing body has reduced the number of annual international windows from six to five. The decision, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, will help give players ample rest.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/05/16042221/Barcelona-UWCL-1200x670-1200x670.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-506912" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>“The Women’s International Match Calendar and the subsequent amendments to our regulations represent an important milestone in our pledge to take the women’s game to the next level by enhancing competitiveness across the world, particularly in those regions where women’s football is less developed and protecting the well-being of the players,” <a href="https://inside.fifa.com/about-fifa/organisation/fifa-council/media-releases/fifa-council-approves-womens-international-match-calendar-2026-2029" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stated</a> Infantino.</p>



<h2>Players union unhappy with certain decisions by FIFA</h2>



<p>The five women’s international windows will now take place in February-March, April, May-June, October, and November-December. The governing body has avoided scheduling international women’s matches in July and September. Players and coaches previously criticized putting games in these windows.</p>



<p>While FIFA applauded its own move, others are more skeptical. According to a report by <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/15/fifa-criticised-for-lack-of-mandatory-rest-periods-in-new-womens-calendar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Guardian</a></em>, player union organization FIFPro previously asked for mandatory rest periods at certain times throughout the new calendar. This request, however, has been denied by FIFA. Instead, the governing body will leave the inclusion of rest periods up to the discretion of each specific confederation and domestic league.</p>



<p>The union also asserts that the Women’s Leagues Forum did not have any say whatsoever in FIFA’s newly updated schedule. The group currently represents top divisions such as the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nwsl-tv-schedule-and-streaming-links/">National Women’s Soccer League</a> and Spain’s Liga F.</p>



<p>FIFA’s continued scheduling changes have come under intense backlash in recent months. Both men’s and women’s players have joined together in the fight to reduce their total number of matches. Players on both sides have even recently <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/this-means-war-players-to-sue-fifa-for-jam-packed-schedules-20231230-WST-480532.html">threatened to sue</a> FIFA regarding an increasingly packed fixture list.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>


FIFA introduces Women's Club World Cup as new calendar swells

FIFA has officially announced that a Women's Club World Cup tournament will be organized for the first time in early 2026.

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<strong>Here are all of the details of where you can watch Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women on US television and via legal streaming:</strong>
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<table class="table6">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td id="magenta" width="20%"><span style="color: #ffffff"><strong>WHO</strong></span></td>
<td width="70%">Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women</td>
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<td id="green"><span style="color: #ffffff"><strong>WHAT</strong></span></td>
<td>UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final, 2nd leg</td>
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<td id="sky"><span style="color: #ffffff"><strong>WHEN</strong></span></td>
<td>Noon ET / 9:00am PT • Saturday, April 27, 2024</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="red"><span style="color: #ffffff"><strong>WHERE</strong></span></td>
<td>DAZN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="yellow"><span style="color: #e04403"><strong>WATCH</strong></span></td>
<td><strong><a href="https://www.dazn.com/en-ES/home/7ltvy2esas0es0l06aus6ugpg?utm_source=worldsoccertalk&amp;utm_medium=Affiliates&amp;utm_campaign=uwcl_chel_fcb_PRO_LEADGEN_Football_Freemium_USA_EN&amp;utm_term=">DAZN</a></strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
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With <a href="https://www.dazn.com/en-ES/home/7ltvy2esas0es0l06aus6ugpg?utm_source=worldsoccertalk&amp;utm_medium=Affiliates&amp;utm_campaign=uwcl_chel_fcb_PRO_LEADGEN_Football_Freemium_USA_EN&amp;utm_term=">DAZN</a>, you can watch Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women and tons more UEFA Women’s Champions League games. 
</div><div>
Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ultimate-soccer-tv-streaming-guide/">download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide</a>, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming.
</div><div>
To find out when soccer games are on, download the free <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2020/12/26/soccer-tv-schedules-app-making-it-easier-to-watch-soccer-games-on-tv/">Soccer TV Schedules App</a> which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soccer-tv-schedules/id1543713555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple iOS devices</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.worldsoccertalk.SoccerTV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Android devices</a>).
</div><div>

Photo credit: Imago
</div>

Where to find Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women on US TV: April 27, 2024

Find out how to watch Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final 2nd leg.

Where to find Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women on US TV: April 27, 2024 - World Soccer Talk

<p>The 2023/24 women’s European club campaign is underway. And one of the highlights of the opening match week of Champions League was Real Madrid vs Chelsea.</p>



<p>Both sides came into the European clash in top form. With only one loss between the two in their respective starts to their Women’s Super League and Liga F seasons, it was a battle of elite teams.</p>



<p>This game was of note to USA fans. <a href="https://www.chelseafc.com/en/matches/womens-team-fixtures-and-results" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chelsea FC</a> manager Emma Hayes will be finishing out the 2023/24 season with the Blues before becoming the next manager of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/uswnt-tv-schedule/">United States Women’s National Team</a>. The six-time Women’s Super League winning – including the last four in a row – coach will be hoping to turn around a program that just logged its worst-ever performance at a World Cup this past summer.</p>



<p>Madrid got off to a fast start, grabbing the lead in the 10th minute when Olga Carmona scored on a superb shot from distance.</p>



<h2>Chelsea dominates, but can’t capitalize on chances</h2>



<p>But after that, it was all Chelsea and seemingly inevitable that the Blues would win this game. Chelsea carried 62% of the possession in the game and outshot Madrid 20-4. But a Niamh Charles goal in the 41st minute and a 1-1 scoreline was all they had to show for it through about 3/4 of the game. </p>



<p>Sam Kerr’s thundering header in the 74th minute looked like it could be the game-winner. </p>



<p>But just minutes later, the game turned on its head again. Madrid was awarded a penalty for a foul right at the edge of the box. Olga took a fantastic PK to tie the game 2-2. From then on it was again Chelsea who had the bulk of the chances.</p>



<p>This included what would have been the winner at the very death. Charles found herself on the end of a great cross, and slotted it home. But it was called off by the linesman for what only could have been an off-the-ball foul.</p>



<p>Between that ending and some missed opportunities, Chelsea will surely feel hard done with the result. </p>



<p>Chelsea will host Paris FC in their next Champions League, while Madrid travels away to BK Häcken, current group leaders, on November 23rd.</p>



<p>You can follow along with the game updates as they happened below.</p>



<p><em>Photos: Imago</em>.</p>


Real Madrid and Chelsea battle to 2-2 Champions League draw

Follow our Real Madrid vs Chelsea live updates in Group D play in the 2023/24 UEFA Women's Champions League.

Real Madrid and Chelsea battle to 2-2 Champions League draw - World Soccer Talk

<p>The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-champions-league-tv-schedule/">UEFA Women’s Champions League</a> is back, kicking off the 2023/24 tournament this week with a slate of eight matches. The first matchday of the UEFA Women’s Champions League this season has some big matchups. To get you ready for the games, here’s our Women’s Champions League preview.</p>



<p>The sixteen clubs that have qualified for the group stage are broken into four groups. And everyone will be chasing down a trip to Bilbao, where the 2024 UWCL Final will take place at San Mamés next May. Getting off to a fast start could be crucial for sides hoping to advance in the competition.</p>



<h2>Women’s Champions League preview: Opening 2023/24 UWCL group stage matches</h2>



<p><strong>FC Barcelona vs Benfica</strong> – Tuesday, November 14 – 3:00 PM ET </p>



<p>The defending champions of the competition, Barcelona, host Benfica in their opening game. Featuring midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, who won the World Cup with Spain this past summer and the 2023 Ballon d’Or just a few weeks back, Barça will certainly be one of the favorites to win it all again.</p>



<p><strong>Bayern Munich vs AS Roma</strong> – Wednesday, November 15 – 12:45 PM ET </p>



<p>It’s a battle of league champions as five-time, and reigning, Frauen-Bundesliga champions Bayern battle last season’s Serie A winners Roma. Both sides were knocked out of last season’s UWCL in the quarterfinal round, with Roma routed by eventual champions Barcelona and Bayern narrowly losing to Arsenal.</p>



<p><strong>Real Madrid vs Chelsea</strong> – Wednesday, November 15 – 3:00 PM ET </p>



<p>These two sides tangled in Group A in last season’s tournament, with Chelsea winning the first match 2-0 at Kingsmeadow, and a split of the points in a 1-1 draw in Madrid. The Blues emerged as group winners, and went on to the semis, while Madrid bowed out in the group stage. Chelsea star Sam Kerr will be hoping to help guide the 2022/23 FA Super League champions to their first-ever UWCL title.</p>



<p>Aside from these heavyweight tilts, five other games round out the opening salvo in group play:</p>



<p><strong>Rosengård vs Eintracht Frankfurt</strong> – Tuesday, November 14 – 12:45 PM ET<br><strong>St. Pölten vs Brann</strong> – Tuesday, November 14 – 12:45 PM ET<br><strong>Slavia Praha vs Olympique Lyon</strong> – Tuesday, November 14 – 3:00 PM ET<br><strong>Paris FC vs BK Häcken</strong> – Wednesday, November 15 – 12:45 PM ET <br><strong>Ajax vs Paris Saint-Germain</strong> – Wednesday, November 15 – 3:00 PM ET </p>



<h2>How to watch the opening UWCL games </h2>



<p><a href="https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4Joc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DAZN</a> streams the UEFA Women’s Champions League live. The service, which also features boxing, MMA, darts, billiards, motorsports, and other events, currently will run you <a href="https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4Joc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$19.99 a month</a>. Initially, it was planned that for 2023/24 the majority of UWCL games would be moving behind that paywall, requiring a DAZN subscription. </p>



<p>However, it appears that strategy has been dialed back, as all eight opening UWCL games are scheduled for live broadcasts on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DAZNWomensFootball/streams" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DAZN’s YouTube channel</a>. This is where many games in past seasons would be found free of charge as well.</p>



<p>In addition, on the YouTube channel fans can watch select games from major European women’s leagues. These include Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga, Spain’s Liga F, Italy’s Serie A Femminile, and France’s Division 1. </p>



<p>Will past champions Barcelona, Frankfurt, or Lyon win another UWCL trophy for the collection? Or will a first-time champion be crowned? The journey to find out starts now.</p>



<p><em>Photos: Imago</em>.</p>


UEFA Women's Champions League Group Stage preview

In our UEFA Women's Champions League preview, we break down the biggest games from the opening round of matches.

UEFA Women's Champions League Group Stage preview - World Soccer Talk

<p>Fans of women’s soccer looking to tune in to one of the top competitions in the world will have to fork over some cash next year. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-champions-league-tv-schedule/">UEFA Women’s Champions League</a> will no longer be free to watch – at least not entirely.  </p>



<p>DAZN, the global rights holder for the tournament, have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/22/womens-champions-league-to-move-behind-dazn-paywall-next-season" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced that</a> most games will now only be accessible via their subscription service. That service starts at <a href="https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4Joc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$19.99 a month</a> in the US. Previously, all UWCL matches have been shown for free on the DAZN YouTube channel. <br><br>Nineteen games remain free on YouTube, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. So it’s not all bad news for fans wanting to watch without needing another subscription.</p>



<h4>Growing the women’s game</h4>



<p>Women’s soccer continues to grow and improve in Europe, and worldwide. That improvement has led to increased interest and visibility. Apparently 14 million more viewers have watched this season compared to last on YouTube.</p>



<p>And crowds continue to turn out for big games in Europe. This year’s Women’s Champions League saw Arsenal fall in the semifinals to Wolfsburg in front of a record crowd. A total of 60,063 fans packed the Emirates Stadium, the biggest crowd ever in England for a women’s club game. Barcelona drew over 91,000 fans in last year’s tournament, also against Wolfsburg, setting the overall women’s soccer attendance record. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="THE GAME THAT CHANGED FOOTBALL | Barcelona vs. Real Madrid - UEFA Women&apos;s Champions League" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xbQRflXw9E8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p>Now the aim is to transform the broadcasting for the tournament into something that drives more tangible revenue into the sport. But after giving something away for free, it’s often hard to convert people into paying customers. It will be interesting to see if enough fans will be willing to pay a (relatively high) subscription fee to watch the competition.</p>



<p>This season’s competition is wrapping up very soon. Wolfsburg faces FC Barcelona in Champions League final on June 3rd in Eindhoven. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="DAZN walkthrough" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH9z7hqT8hs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>


DAZN ending many free Women's Champions League streams

The UEFA Women's Champions League is shifting to a pay-to-watch model for most games starting with the 23/24 season.

DAZN ending many free Women's Champions League streams - World Soccer Talk

<p>Monday’s Arsenal-Wolfsburg <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-champions-league-tv-schedule/">Women’s Champions League</a> clash at the Emirates was a record-setting affair. A sold-out crowd of 60,063 fans in north London delivered a rousing atmosphere for the match. This game had no less ambience than a men’s Arsenal home semifinal would have, which was just wonderful to see. </p>



<p>It is, to date, the largest women’s club match attendance for a game in England. But beyond the terrific atmosphere, there was the game itself.</p>



<h4>An even contest</h4>



<p>After a 2-2 draw in the first leg at the Volkswagen Arena on April 23rd, everything was on the line in today’s second tilt. In the end it would take 120 minutes to decide a winner in what turned out to be an evenly-contested match.   </p>



<p>The drama started early, as just minutes into the action an apparent handball penalty for Wolfsburg was denied due to offsides after VAR review. In the 11th minute, Arsenal grabbed the lead on a great individual effort. Stina Blackstenius powered her way past both the final defender and the goalkeeper, firing in the first goal of the match.</p>



<p>For awhile the match settled down, but just before halftime things livened up. In the 41st minute, Wolfsburg’s Jill Roord showed a brilliant bit of control from the top of the box, hitting a bouncing shot on the volley past Manuela Zinsberger to tie things up. Sveindís Jónsdóttir nearly put Wolfsburg ahead in first-half stoppage time, making an outstanding run and blasting a close range shot that was saved by Zinsberger. Alas, things would stand 3-3 on aggregate heading into the final 45′. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I feel very disappointed, empty but I also feel very proud!" 👊<br><br>Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall speaks about his team&apos;s elimination to Wolfsburg. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UWCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UWCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/UskDBpzgnd">pic.twitter.com/UskDBpzgnd</a></p>— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAZNFootball/status/1653128784256843776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>It looked as if Blackstenius had put the Gunners ahead just one minute into the second half, but VAR ruled the (otherwise outstanding) play narrowly offsides.</p>



<p>At the 58′ mark Alexandra Popp flicked in a header at the near post off a corner to silence the home crowd and put Wolfsburg up 3-4. Ten minutes later Svenja Huth had a clear chance to perhaps put things out of reach, but missed wide on a shot from about 10 yards out.</p>



<p>The missed opportunity was costly, as Arsenal’s Jen Beattie leveled the proceedings with a clinical header in the 75th minute. The goal would stand, but a VAR review dampened the energy of the moment. </p>



<h4>Extra time drama</h4>



<p>Seven minutes of stoppage time began with the game still knotted at 2-2(4-4). Seven minutes of stoppage time ended the same way, leading into the pressure of extra time.  </p>



<p>The 98th minute saw a terrific point-blank kick save from Wolfsburg’s Merle Frohms to keep things level. The first 15 minutes would elapse without either side making breakthrough. A bit of a broken play at 112′ gave Wolfsburg a golden chance, but resulting shot was wide of the mark. A few minutes later Arsenal were inches from snatching the lead. A lofted cross floated to the back post and found the woodwork, bouncing away and ending the threat.</p>



<p>In the 119th minute, Pauline Brenner tapped a perfectly-placed cross into an empty net to stun the Emirates and put Wolfsburg ahead in the dying moments. The record crowd rallied behind the home side as added time began, hoping to inspire Arsenal to an equalizer. </p>



<p>But in the end, it was not to be for the London faithful. The Gunners now look to the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-super-league-tv-schedule/">Super League</a> campaign, where they have a chance to challenge for the title. </p>



<p>Wolfsburg now move on to their sixth Champions League final, looking to secure their third continental title. They will travel to the Netherlands to face 2021 winners FC Barcelona at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven on June 3rd. </p>



<p><em>photo: Imago</em></p>


Wolfsburg upset Arsenal in front of 60,063 fans

The Women's Champions League Arsenal-Wolfsburg semifinal delivered a terrific clash in front of a record crowd.

Wolfsburg upset Arsenal in front of 60,063 fans - World Soccer Talk

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Where to find Chelsea Women vs Barcelona Women on US TV: April 27, 2024

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DAZN ending many free Women's Champions League streams

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Wolfsburg upset Arsenal in front of 60,063 fans

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