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Women’s Soccer Guide to 2026: World Cup Qualifiers, FIFA Champions Cup and More

The year ahead is packed with incredible soccer from around the globe, with two international continental tournaments as well as World Cup qualifiers for the USWNT.

Theo Lloyd-Hughes

The USWNT will have a busy year ahead with the 2027 Women’s World Cup just around the corner.
The USWNT will have a busy year ahead with the 2027 Women’s World Cup just around the corner. / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

With a new year, new tournaments and a whole lot of soccer, 2026 promises to be one of the biggest years ever when it comes to women’s soccer.

Why? Well, two major international continental championships are set to take place alongside World Cup qualifiers and a brand new international club competition hosted by FIFA and featuring title winners from around the globe.

Here is Sports Illustrated ’s guide to women’s soccer in 2026.

FIFA Women’s Champions Cup

The first major women’s soccer competition of 2026 will take place in London from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1, with the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup featuring four continental title winners, facing off in a semifinal and then a final.

The final four features England’s Arsenal, from Europe, against Morocco’s AS FAR, Brazil’s Corinthians and the NWSL’s Gotham FC. This tournament will be the first of its kind and a rare glimpse of clubs from around the world of women’s soccer facing off in competitive games. Of course, the usual caveats of who is in preseason and who is midseason will always apply.

Women’s Asia Cup

The 21st edition of the Women’s Asia Cup will be held in Australia from March 1 to 21. It will be the first time Australia has hosted a major tournament since its immensely successful 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

China is the reigning champion, which won its ninth title in 2022 by defeating South Korea, 3–2, in an enthralling final. Two-time winner Japan will be the favorite as the highest-ranked side on the continent.

Not only will a new champion of the region be crowned, but the Women’s Asia Cup also serves as the qualifying competition for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil.

Women’s AFCON

Incredibly, there will be two elite international continental competitions this spring, with the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations following hot on the heels of the Asian Cup.

The 2026 WAFCON will be held in Morocco, the second consecutive time the North African country has hosted the tournament, following its 2025 hosting.

Nigeria is the current champion. The Super Falcons won a record 10th WAFCON title when they defeated Morocco, 3–2, last summer. A tournament not to be missed, some of the best players in the NWSL, like MVP Temwa Chawinga, are set to star in this 16th edition of WAFCON.

Women’s Champions League Final

It has been 25 years since UEFA launched its women’s edition of the Champions League, and this year’s final promises to be more competitive than ever.

Eighteen teams will be narrowed down to two finalists, who will meet in Oslo on May 23. After last year’s stunning upset, where Arsenal defeated Barcelona 1-0, what drama could be in store this time around?

Concacaf W Champions Cup Finals

In the second edition of the North, Central and Caribbean women’s club championships, four teams are left to compete for continental glory. Those semifinals will take place May 20–23 in a single location to be announced.

Gotham FC are the reigning champions and first-ever winners of the CWCC. And the Bats will have the chance to defend the trophy. The 2025 NWSL champions are set to meet Club América in the semifinals, with Washington Spirit and Pachuca squaring up in the other semifinal.

NWSL Championship Final

Although the host city and stadium have yet to be announced, the 13th NWSL final will be held on Nov. 21. Gotham capped off their double-trophy-winning 2025 season by lifting last year’s NWSL title at PayPal Park in San Jose, after beating the Washington Spirit, 1–0.

One of the most anticipated and climactic club events in women’s soccer, the NWSL championship always delivers exciting drama and brings out plenty of famous faces.

Gotham FC defender Mandy Freeman celebrates with the NWSL trophy.
Gotham won their second NWSL title in three years last season. / John Hefti-Imagn Images

CONCACAF World Cup qualifying final round

The U.S. women’s national team’s journey to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will begin in earnest in November 2026. The four-time World Cup winners, alongside Canada and six other CONCACAF nations yet to qualify, will duke it out in a tournament.

The eight teams will be split into two groups of four, with four teams advancing to the semifinals and before a final. The four semifinalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the two best third-place finishers in the first round earning spots in the inter-confederation playoffs.

The USWNT has never missed a FIFA Women’s World Cup. After taking home a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris in Emma Hayes’s first tournament as manager, the expectations will be high for the Americans heading into this one.

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Theo Lloyd-Hughes
THEO LLOYD-HUGHES

Theo Lloyd-Hughes is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer based in the Southern United States. Originally from England, he can often be found in a press box across the NWSL or at international matches featuring the USWNT and other Concacaf nations.

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