Doha will again provide the closing stage for a FIFA club competition in December 2026, with Qatar selected to host the final three matches of the Intercontinental Cup. The tournament brings together six continental champions, and the route to the trophy will carry sides from Mexico, South America, Africa and Europe through the Gulf state.
The sequence begins on Wednesday 9 December with the Derby of the Americas, where CONCACAF champions Toluca will meet the eventual Copa Libertadores winners. South America’s finalists will be known after the Libertadores final on 28 November. Palmeiras are still in contention and await the winner of the Flamengo-Estudiantes semi-final, which is to be settled in the return leg.
The Derby of the Americas winner will advance to the Challenger Cup in Qatar on Saturday 12 December. Mamelodi Sundowns have already taken their place in that match after the African champions defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli 2-1.
Paris Saint-Germain, European champions after winning the UEFA Champions League, will enter only at the final stage. Luis Enrique’s side will play the Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday 16 December against the Challenger Cup winners. For PSG, whose ownership is Qatari, the occasion will carry the feel of a home fixture despite the club’s Parisian identity.
A first women’s club world stage in the United States
FIFA has also awarded the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup to the United States. The competition is scheduled to run from 5 to 30 January 2028 and will feature 19 teams drawn from all six continental confederations: Europe, Asia, Africa, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and Oceania.
The choice of the United States was based on its experience of staging FIFA events, the development of its infrastructure and services, and the level of interest in women’s football among domestic stakeholders.
Places in the 2028 tournament will be allocated through clubs’ performances in their confederation’s leading club competition across a four-year qualifying cycle. That period begins with the season ending in 2024 and concludes with the campaign finishing in 2027, with FIFA aiming to ensure the strongest possible field for the new global event.
