NWSL chief warns that growing competitions in women’s football risk player welfare

NWSL Chief Jessica Berman says that the growth ​of women’s football worldwide needs careful collaboration to make sure players are not overloaded by increasing competitions. | Photo Credit: Reuters

As the FIFA’s inaugural Women’s Club World Cup is set to take place in January 2028, mid-season for Europe’s top domestic leagues but in the close season for the NWSL.

After ​the Women’s World Cup in Brazil, The new 19-team tournament is scheduled to take place six months and with increased ACL injuries. Berman stressed ​the need for mutual understanding among all parties involved to make sure players are not overworking.

National ‌Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman said on Wednesday. The growth ​of women’s football worldwide needs careful collaboration to make sure players are not overloaded by increasing competitions.

“I ⁠think this next phase of growth really requires a ton of communication and collaboration between the different stakeholders, or tournament ​organisers, because we’re all leveraging the same players for these different tournaments,” Berman told reporters at the Leaders Week sports industry ​conference at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium.

“And we must communicate to make sure that we’re optimising for their performance in a way that allows for us all to have the longevity and sustainability that we’re looking to achieve.

“So, I think more details (are) to come from FIFA. We too are ​waiting for additional information about everything from the location to the format to the structure, and we will hope to ​continue to work with FIFA on making sure that it’s curated in a way that supports the growth of the game globally.”

“I think there’s a lot of ​opportunity if it were to be hosted in America,” she said.

“I think I’d want to ​hear more about ⁠what the plans would be, but certainly (with) that exposure there could be benefits for our league and so we’ll continue to be available to discuss opportunities that might exist in our market.”

Berman, who became commissioner in 2022, did not put an upper limit on the number of ​teams the league could expand to but said 20 would be the “next touch point”. The ⁠Women’s Club World Cup will have six teams in the play-in stage, with the three winners advancing to the group stage joining 13 other clubs. There will be four groups of four as the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL confederations will each have two direct slots, while UEFA will have five berths.

British media reports this month ⁠said the US was in advanced talks to stage the tournament. Should that be the case, the NWSL could get a boost from it, Berman said.