NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman urges player welfare focus as global club tournament approaches

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman called for closer coordination to protect players as women’s club football expands, speaking at the Leaders Week conference at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in London on Wednesday, October 7. Her remarks come as FIFA prepares a 19-club Women’s Club World Cup for January and February 2028, adding a global competition to players’ schedules.

Berman told reporters that tournament organisers draw on the same players and need to communicate about their demands. ‘This next phase of growth really requires a ton of communication and collaboration between the different stakeholders, or tournament organisers,’ she said, according to Reuters. She said that coordination should allow players to perform while supporting the game’s long-term growth.

Why Berman raised player workloads

The timing is part of the concern. Reuters reported that the inaugural club tournament is scheduled about six months after the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. January falls during the season for Europe’s leading domestic leagues, while it is in the NWSL close season. Those differing calendars mean the same tournament would meet clubs and players at different points in their seasons.

Berman also pointed to continuing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s football when urging organisers to avoid overworking players. The reporting provides no injury-rate figures, workload measurements or evidence that a tournament yet to be played has caused injuries. Her argument concerned how organisers should plan for players as competitions increase.

What FIFA has confirmed about the 2028 tournament

FIFA announced in March 2025 that its first Women’s Club World Cup would be held in January and February 2028 and would include 19 clubs. Its published plan begins with six clubs in a play-in stage. Three winners then join 13 other clubs in a 16-team group stage, followed by knockout matches.

The group stage is set to have four groups of four, with the top two teams in each advancing. FIFA allocated five direct places to UEFA and two each to the Asian, African, North and Central American, and South American confederations. Its plan also has one club from each of football’s six confederations in the play-in stage.

FIFA said all matches, from the play-in stage through the final, would take place at a neutral venue that it would determine later. Berman said she was still awaiting further information from FIFA, including details of the location, format and structure. FIFA’s published announcement sets out the competition format, while the host remains unannounced in the available reporting.

The Club World Cup is planned as a competition held every four years. FIFA also announced a separate Women’s Champions Cup for years without a Club World Cup, bringing together continental club champions. FIFA described the new events as a way to give leading clubs a global stage; those are its stated aims, rather than measured results of the future Club World Cup.

What remains undecided about hosting

Reuters said FIFA had not announced a host for 2028. It described British media reports of advanced talks about staging the tournament in the United States, but reported no FIFA decision. Berman said a US event could bring exposure and benefits for the NWSL, while adding that she wanted to hear more about the plans before assessing the opportunities.

A US host could also put the event in the NWSL’s market, but that possibility depends on a decision FIFA has yet to announce. The immediate confirmed development is Berman’s call for organisers to work together as the new competition takes shape. How they will coordinate schedules and address the workload concerns she raised remains an open question.