FIFA’s ambitious push to expand its club competitions is running into headwinds, with the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup revealing challenges in attracting both broadcast partners and significant sponsorship revenue. Although Arsenal claimed the first title in the competition on February 1, 2026, defeating Corinthians 3-2 after extra time at Emirates Stadium, the path to establishing these tournaments as financially viable entities appears fraught with difficulty.
The launch of the revamped Club World Cup last year, and now the Women’s Champions Cup, represents a significant strategic shift for FIFA, aiming to capitalize on the growing global interest in club football. However, initial enthusiasm hasn’t translated into robust commercial backing, forcing the governing body to rely heavily on a single media partner and navigate a complex sponsorship landscape.
DAZN emerged as a key player, acquiring global media rights to both the men’s Club World Cup for $1 billion and securing a deal to broadcast the Women’s Champions Cup globally with a free-to-air feed, supporting FIFA’s goal of expanding viewership. However, FIFA deviated from the men’s model by excluding DAZN’s global coverage in the four home markets of participating teams, leading to separate agreements with Sky Sports in the UK, CazéTV in Brazil, and TelevisaUnivision in the United States. Notably, no domestic broadcaster was announced in Morocco, highlighting a broader hesitation in the market, and these partnerships were finalized just 13 days before the tournament’s kickoff in England.
The financial picture on the sponsorship front is similarly muted. Kynisca was announced as the presenting partner on January 22, 2026, but the tournament only secured a total of three sponsorship deals by the start of the competition. Visa, building on its long-term commitment to women’s soccer since becoming the first sole sponsor of UEFA women’s soccer in 2018, joined the portfolio, as did Aramco. However, the latter partnership has drawn criticism, with over 100 women’s soccer players signing an open letter in 2024 urging FIFA to end its relationship with the Saudi Arabian energy company.
Attendance Figures Raise Questions
The final between Arsenal and Corinthians, held at Emirates Stadium, drew a crowd of 25,031 spectators, representing just 41.2% of the stadium’s capacity. This is particularly noteworthy given Arsenal Women’s success in attracting high attendance figures in the Women’s Super League (WSL), averaging 34,110 fans per match at the Emirates Stadium last season, with a season-high of 56,700 for their match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Prize Money Disparity
FIFA invested $3.95 million in prize money across the six participating teams in the 2026 Champions Cup, with Arsenal receiving $2.3 million as the champions. This figure, while substantial, pales in comparison to the investment in the men’s Club World Cup, where Chelsea received £85 million ($115.5 million) and all 32 competing clubs were guaranteed £28 million ($38 million). To position this in perspective, Arsenal earned €500,000 ($590,000) for winning the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League title.
Future Plans and Potential Challenges
FIFA plans to launch a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup in 2028. To match the financial investment of the men’s tournament, FIFA would need to allocate $500 million in prize money. However, given the current commercial landscape, this appears unlikely. The proposed January 2028 dates for the tournament have already drawn criticism from clubs concerned about the impact on domestic scheduling, potentially affecting up to five rounds of matches in the Women’s Super League.
Despite the initial challenges, FIFA remains committed to expanding its club competitions, viewing them as crucial to diversifying revenue streams beyond the four-year cycle of the FIFA World Cup. While the path to commercial success may be long, the organization believes that building the status and popularity of these tournaments will ultimately attract greater investment and solidify their place on the global football calendar.
The success of these tournaments will depend on FIFA’s ability to address concerns regarding scheduling, secure more robust sponsorship deals, and demonstrate a clear commitment to equity in investment between the men’s and women’s games. What comes next will be crucial in determining whether these new competitions can truly flourish.
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