FIFG World Club Trophy 2027: How Clubs Can Qualify for the Global Finals
The FIFG World Club Trophy will return in 2027 with a clearer qualification pathway, a global field of 16 clubs and a stronger focus on building sustainable FootGolf clubs around the world.
The competition was introduced in 2025 and will now move onto a two year cycle. The 2027 edition is designed to give clubs from every FIFG region a realistic path towards an international final, while also encouraging stronger national competitions, better club structures and more opportunities for women and junior players.
For clubs in England, Europe and beyond, the key question is simple. How do you qualify?
What is the FIFG World Club Trophy?
The FIFG World Club Trophy is an international team competition for FootGolf clubs.
Unlike the World Championship, which is built around national teams and individual categories, this event focuses entirely on club identity. Players compete alongside teammates from the same club and try to progress from domestic qualification all the way to the World Final.
The idea is to create something closer to a traditional club championship, where local FootGolf organisations can build long term teams and compete against clubs from other countries and continents.
The 2027 World Final will be staged in Europe between September and December 2027. The exact host country is expected to be confirmed after FIFG evaluates the submitted hosting bids.
How many clubs will qualify?
A total of 16 clubs will reach the FIFG World Club Trophy 2027 World Final.
The places are divided across the five official FIFG regions.
| Region | World Final places |
|---|---|
| Europe | 8 |
| South America | 3 |
| North America | 2 |
| Asia Pacific | 2 |
| Africa | 1 |
Europe receives the largest allocation because it has the highest number of FIFG licences.
One of Europe’s eight places will go to the host Member Country. This does not create an extra place. It means seven additional European clubs will qualify through the approved regional process.
For English clubs, this makes the European qualification route especially important. England already has an established domestic club structure, so the World Club Trophy gives successful clubs something much bigger to aim for beyond national competition.
How does qualification work?
Qualification takes place through three main stages.
The first stage is national qualification.
Each FIFG Member Country is responsible for creating and publishing its own club competition or qualification system. That means the route may look slightly different in England, France, Argentina, South Africa or other countries.
The second stage is regional qualification.
Clubs that progress from their domestic system move into a qualification process approved by their FIFG region.
The final stage is the World Final, where the 16 qualified clubs meet to compete for the World Club Trophy.
FIFG has made it clear that national associations and regional bodies must communicate their own calendars, eligibility rules and deadlines. Clubs therefore need to pay close attention not only to FIFG announcements, but also to the rules published by their national association.
Why 2026 matters for qualification
The World Club Trophy will now operate on a two year cycle.
The year before the World Final will normally act as the main qualification season. That makes 2026 especially important for clubs targeting the 2027 edition.
Domestic club leagues and national competitions will effectively become part of the road to the World Final.
For clubs with serious ambitions, preparation cannot begin a few weeks before the event. They need a competitive squad, enough eligible players, a stable club structure and a clear understanding of their domestic qualification pathway.
What does a World Club Trophy squad look like?
Each qualified club can register between six and 15 players.
Six players start in each team match.
This gives clubs some flexibility when building a squad. They can carry additional players for rotation, form, tactical decisions or course suitability while keeping the actual match team relatively compact.
That squad depth could become very important.
The tournament is designed so that every club plays several matches. Teams therefore need more than a few strong individual players. They need balance across the squad and players who can perform in different match formats.
How does the World Final format work?
The 16 clubs will be drawn into four groups of four.
Each club plays three group matches.
After the group stage, teams move into placement brackets based on where they finish in their group.
Group winners compete for positions one to four.
The other teams move into separate brackets for positions five to eight, nine to twelve and thirteen to sixteen.
This means every club continues playing after the group stage.
There is no situation where a club travels to the World Final, loses early and immediately goes home.
Every team is guaranteed five team matches and every club receives a final position in the tournament. FIFG plans for the event to last around four days, with five days set as the maximum duration.
That is a smart format for a developing international club competition because it guarantees meaningful playing time for every qualified team.
What match formats will clubs play?
The World Club Trophy will not be based only on standard individual FootGolf.
Team matches will combine individual games, Fourball and Foursomes.
This changes the tactical side of the competition considerably.
In an individual event, a player controls almost every decision alone.
In club competition, partnerships and team selection become important.
Captains must decide which players work well together, who is suited to particular match formats and how to build the strongest possible six player line up.
That makes the World Club Trophy very different from a normal ranking event.
A club with the strongest individual player in the competition will not necessarily be the strongest team.
Women’s participation is mandatory
One of the most important rules for the 2027 competition is the mandatory Women’s Individual match.
This requirement applies at national qualification level, regional qualification and the World Final.
FIFG is using the competition as part of a wider effort to increase women’s participation in club FootGolf.
The rules also go further.
For the 2027 cycle, clubs must demonstrate active female or youth development. That can include a registered junior player, a registered female player or a recognised development programme approved by the club’s Member Country.
This makes development part of the qualification philosophy rather than treating it as something separate from elite competition.
What licences do players need?
Players must hold at least a valid FIFG Recreation Licence during national qualification.
From regional qualification onward, every participating player must hold a valid FIFG World Tour Licence.
For clubs planning a serious qualification campaign, this is an important administrative detail.
There is little value in building a strong squad only to discover later that key players do not meet the licence requirements.
Why the Club World Trophy matters for FootGolf
FootGolf is still largely seen as an individual sport.
That makes the World Club Trophy strategically important.
Clubs create something that individual tournaments cannot always provide. They create local identity, regular competition, community and a reason for players to stay involved throughout the season.
FIFG has openly positioned stronger clubs as part of the long term development of the sport, particularly in areas such as women’s FootGolf and junior development.
The competition can also give national club leagues greater meaning.
A domestic title is already valuable, but it becomes even more important when success can lead towards a regional competition and eventually a global final.
What does this mean for English FootGolf clubs?
England is particularly interesting in this context.
The country already has an active club structure and club based competitions, which gives English teams a solid foundation for future World Club Trophy qualification.
Europe has eight World Final places, although one belongs to the eventual host country.
That means competition for the remaining European places should be strong.
English clubs will potentially need to perform well at national level first and then prove themselves against successful clubs from other European FootGolf nations.
For players who are used to individual tournaments, that could create a new goal.
Winning a national event is one thing.
Helping your club reach a World Final is something completely different.
What happened in the first edition?
The first World Club Trophy was held in England in 2025 at Ashbury.
The event gave FIFG valuable information about how the club concept worked in practice, and the federation has used feedback from that first edition when shaping the new 2027 structure.
The decision to bring the competition back on a regular two year cycle shows that FIFG sees club FootGolf as an important part of the sport’s future.
The 2027 version is therefore not just a repeat of the first event.
It is the next stage of a wider club development project.
The road to the 2027 World Final starts now
For clubs with international ambitions, the path to 2027 is already taking shape.
The most important step is understanding the national qualification system once each Member Country publishes its rules.
From there, clubs will need to perform domestically, qualify for the appropriate regional stage and then earn one of the limited places at the World Final.
With only 16 clubs in the tournament, qualification itself will be an achievement.
That is likely to make domestic club competitions more important throughout 2026 and 2027.
For FootGolfUK, this also gives us a clear story to follow.
We can track which English clubs emerge as contenders, how the national qualification system develops, which European teams look strongest and eventually which 16 clubs earn the right to compete for the FIFG World Club Trophy.