Women’s club football has taken a step into an even brighter future with the first match of the inaugural edition of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™ between China PR’s Wuhan Jiangda WFC, the AFC Women’s Champions League titleholders, and New Zealand’s Auckland United FC, the winners of this year’s OFC Women’s Champions League. With over 32,000 local fans turning up to support the players at the stadium, the match set a new attendance record for women's club football in China.

The winner-takes-all tie, which saw the hosts triumph 1-0 at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium in China PR, marked the kick-off of the trailblazing tournament. Approved by the FIFA Council in March this year, the competition sees the reigning six continental champions face off to etch their name into the game’s history as the first to capture the prestigious title in what is a new era for international women’s club football.

“I think it’s been a huge missing piece of the puzzle,” said Ben Bates, Auckland United’s head coach, who believes the tournament will have the same impact as the transformational FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™. “I think the more we can embrace that, especially in New Zealand, back home in Oceania, having more opportunities to have these players on the world stage and to show what they can do, hopefully that will continue to grow the image and grow that brand.

“Globally, I think it will give some really good exposure to what is out there and the pathways that are out there for clubs across the world,” added Auckland United captain Talisha Green. “It is truly inspiring to see that in any form of football, you can make it to the big stage, whether that is through your professional leagues or your amateur leagues. And you can come in and play against the biggest clubs in the world and the biggest names in football. That is truly inspiring; you can meet your heroes through this. So, yeah, I think it's a really cool competition to bring into the world.”

Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2026 competition feature two knockouts with Wuhan Jiangda now progressing to the latter and travelling to face the yet-to-be-decided African champions in December.

“I think for Asian teams like ours, chances like this to go head-to-head with an African side are incredibly rare. We just don’t get many opportunities of this kind,” said Wuhan Jiangda’s veteran China PR international Wu Haiyan. “African players bring distinct qualities compared to us Asians, so it’s all about whether we can show what makes us shine in the face of those differences.”

The Round 2 winners will advance to the final phase of the competition, which will be held in London, England, between 28 January and 1 February 2026 where European champions Arsenal WFC, Concacaf titleholders Gotham FC and the future CONMEBOL champions await.

Two semi-final matches will determine the clubs that will have an opportunity to make football history, capturing a new audience for the women’s game and inspiring girls around the world to take up the sport.

“It’s a real push for advancing women’s football,” added Wu, who has over 100 caps for her country and featured at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2015, 2019 and 2023. “Right now, whether it’s the (FIFA Women’s) World Cup or the Olympics, women’s teams from every country are making huge strides, and that’s bringing the sport to a wider audience.

“So, Wuhan Jiangda has a chance to help more people understand the growth of football in China and where our women’s national team stands on the global stage. That’s why we need to put in even more effort to showcase this. It’s not just to chase a title, but to get more people excited about women’s football and the sport itself.”

“This platform allows Chinese women’s football players to showcase themselves on this international stage. In fact, they can promote the development of women’s football very well and help everyone progress together,” added Wuhan Jiangda coach Chang Weiwei.

“For aspiring female footballers, access to such a prestigious level inspires them from youth teams all the way to professional levels, empowering them to chase and achieve their dreams.”

The competition, which is scheduled to be held in each year that does not feature a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup™, also aligns with Goal 8 of FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game. It not only states the aim of creating more competitions for women’s club and national sides, but also achieving equality in terms of the teams’ competition environment.

“It’s been great to see the effort and the level of detail that FIFA have put into hosting us in Wuhan, and the facilities and the hotel have been outstanding. So, full credit to FIFA; they’ve really put the effort in to give us that full experience,” said Bates. “For a number of the girls who haven’t quite had that opportunity to go and compete at (FIFA Women’s) World Cups, it’s fantastic for them to be able to experience that.”

“I think this is an incredibly precious opportunity in my football career. I’ve represented the national team on so many battlefields, and now I get to represent my club. I believe that’s something every player dreams of and looks forward to. That’s why I feel so incredibly lucky to have this chance to represent my country and my club and, in doing so, Asian football. It’s the kind of thing all players aspire to,” concluded Wu. “Ultimately, through matches like this, we want to open doors for more teams and players across Asia to step onto the world stage and show what they’re made of.”