Women s Champions League schedule announced! Wuhan Women s Football Team may challenge Arsenal

On August 20, FIFA officially announced the 2026 Women's Championship schedule. Wuhan Chegujiang Women's Football Team, which won the first Asian Cup championship in May this year, will once again represent China and stand on the world stage in October to compete with top clubs from six continents for this new FIFA Women's Championship honor.

In order to promote the professionalization of women's football and improve the competitive level and commercial operation capabilities, FIFA officially launched the four-year Women's Football World Cup in March this year. The first event is scheduled to be held in 2028, with a total of 19 clubs participating. As an important supplement to the non-Club World Cup years, the FIFA Council approved the establishment of the FIFA Women's Champions League. FIFA has formulated a clear three-stage development plan for the Women's Champions League: establish a stable participating club system from 2026 to 2030; from 2031 to 2035, double the commercial value of the event; after 2036, an international influence comparable to that of the men's club events will be formed. FIFA President Infantino said: "Women's football has reached a new peak at the national team level, and now is the time to show the strength of the world's top clubs." FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis also said: "Now every girl can not only dream of playing for her country, but also dream of fighting for her club on the world stage."

The first Women's Football Championship Cup will be divided into two stages. A total of 4 teams will participate in the main competition from January 28 to February 1, 2026. The champions of UEFA, South American Football Federation and Central North American and Caribbean Football Federation will directly advance to the semi-finals. The remaining semi-finals will be won by the champions of the AFC, AFC and Oceania Football Federation through the qualifiers.

As the 2024/25 AFC Women's Championship, Wuhan Chegujiang Women's Football Team will be the home Wuhan Sports Center in October this year, taking the lead in facing Oceania champion Auckland United Women's Football Team. If they win, they will challenge the African Women's Champions League champion in the next round away game - the championship has not been announced yet and is expected to be released at the end of November.

Once you win two consecutive games, Wuhan Women's Football Team will face the new Women's Champions League champion Arsenal Women's Football Team in the semi-finals. This stage will be held in a neutral position in Europe, North America or South America. Another semi-final will be between the New York Gotham Women's Football Team in New Jersey and the South American Liberators Cup champion.

The road to winning the first Women's Football Team in the AFC Champions League is a powerful counterattack legend. They went to the AFC Champions League as Chinese Women's Super League champions, with only 1 win and 2 losses in the group stage, and thrillingly advanced to the knockout round with the "third in the group with the best results". After entering the quarterfinals, Wuhan Women's Football Team defeated Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City Women's Football Team, advanced to the finals, and defeated Australia's Melbourne City Women's Football Team 5-4 in the penalty shootout, winning the first Women's Football Team AFC trophy historic, and thus won the FIFA Women's Champions League ticket.

However, Wuhan Women's Football Team experienced lineup changes in the summer window: two African foreign players Theresa and Traore left the team, and the newly introduced foreign aid Owusu has not yet fully integrated into the team, and there is little chance to play after 51 minutes of its debut. At present, this champion team, which is still plagued by injury, is also facing challenges on the road to winning the championship in the domestic women's Super League. From the top of Asia to the world arena, Wuhan Women's Football Team has a long way to go, but it is also facing greater challenges with a tough attitude.

For the Chinese women's football team, Wuhan Chegujiang University is not only a team, but also a symbol. Their figures of crossing the top of Asia and heading to the world arena marking the official entry of the Chinese Women's Football Club into an international perspective. What they carry is not only the glory of a city and a team, but also the hope and direction of the future development of the Chinese women's football team. Every time you face a strong enemy, it is an opportunity to write history; every international debut is injecting more possibilities into the Chinese women's football team. The world stage has been set up, and now, the Wuhan Women's Football Team is about to draw a new goal for their dream.

Text/Hubei Daily reporter Hu Yuwei

Photo/FIFA, Wuhan Chegujiang Women's Football Team