FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) has announced unprecedented prize money for the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup, with the winning club set to receive 2.3 million United States dollars, marking the highest single payout in women’s club football history.
The world governing body unveiled the prize structure on Friday ahead of the tournament’s final stage, which kicks off in London next week. In total, nearly 4 million dollars will be distributed among the six participating clubs based on their performance in the competition.
The runners up will earn 1 million dollars for reaching the final scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Arsenal Stadium. The two losing semifinalists will each receive 200,000 dollars, while Auckland United FC of New Zealand and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC of China, eliminated in the opening rounds, will earn 100,000 dollars apiece.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström described the payout as a clear statement of belief in women’s club football and the players, teams and competitions driving its continued rise. He emphasized that the prize structure 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 tournament brings together the best club from every confederation to compete for the title of intercontinental club champions. The final phase will be hosted entirely in London, with semifinal matches scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, at Brentford Stadium, home of English Premier League side Brentford.
In the first semifinal at 12:30 Greenwich Mean Time, CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) champions Gotham FC from the United States will face CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) winners SC Corinthians of Brazil. The second semifinal at 18:00 GMT will see UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Women’s Champions League holders Arsenal Women FC take on CAF (Confederation of African Football) Women’s Champions League titlists ASFAR of Morocco.
Both the third place match and championship final will be played on Sunday, February 1, at Arsenal Stadium, where the first women’s intercontinental club champion will be crowned. Arsenal qualified for the tournament by defeating Barcelona in last season’s Champions League final, while Gotham FC earned their place by beating Mexican club Tigres in the CONCACAF equivalent.
The competition technically began earlier with two first round matches in October and December. ASFAR advanced to the semifinals by eliminating Asian and Oceania representatives in those earlier rounds. AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Women’s Champions League holders Wuhan Chegu Jiangda and OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) Women’s Champions League winners Auckland United both failed to progress beyond the opening stage.
The inaugural Women’s Champions Cup forms part of a broader FIFA strategy to accelerate investment in the women’s game. Following the conclusion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the organization paid out 11.3 million dollars to 1,041 clubs worldwide through the FIFA Club Benefits Programme. The governing body also plans to debut a full Women’s Club World Cup in 2028.
For context, Arsenal received more than 1.5 million euros, approximately 1.8 million dollars, in prize money for winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season. By comparison, FIFA distributed 1 billion dollars among 32 teams in the men’s 2025 Club World Cup, with both finalists, Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain, each earning in excess of 100 million dollars.
Grafström emphasized that FIFA’s focus remains clear: to continue investing in, growing and elevating women’s club football at every level, ensuring that opportunity, visibility and value keep pace with the exceptional performances seen on the pitch. The organization has also introduced measures such as training compensation, solidarity payments and minimum club standards to improve competitiveness and long term sustainability in the women’s game.
