The inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup begins in a few short weeks, and we’ve got everything you need to know about the first official women’s continental club championship in the region! From schedules for the inaugural competition to how qualification works, to the reasoning behind this new competition, we’ve got you covered.
Starting with one of the biggest questions, why is Concacaf adding an official women’s continental club championship to the schedule?
The Concacaf W Champions Cup will be the only way for Concacaf clubs to qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. While we’re still awaiting more details on that competition from FIFA, Concacaf has confirmed that World Cup spots are what’s at stake.
Who is represented in this competition?
Teams from the following countries within Concacaf will be competing in the Concacaf W Champions Cup.
- Canada: 1 club in Preliminary Round
- Costa Rica: 1 club in Group Stage
- El Salvador: 1 club in Preliminary Round
- Jamaica: 1 club in Group Stage
- Mexico: 3 clubs in Group Stage
- Panama: 1 club in Group Stage
- USA: 3 clubs in Group Stage
Which clubs have qualified?
Group A
- NJ/NY Gotham FC
- Tigres Femenil
- CF Monterrey Femenil
- LD Alajuelense
- Frazsiers Whip Football Limited
Group B
- San Diego Wave FC
- Portland Thorns FC
- Club America Femenil
- Santa Fe FC
- Alianza Women FC /Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
How did these teams qualify?
Per Concacaf, the teams qualified by the following means:
Canada: 2023 League1 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship Winner (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Costa Rica: 2023 Apertura and Clausura Unión Femenina de Fútbol Champion (LD Alajuelense).
El Salvador: 2023/24 Liga Primera Femenina Winner (Alianza FC).
Jamaica: 2022/23 Jamaica Women’s Premier League Champion (Frazsiers Whip Women FC).
Mexico: Liga MX Femenil 2023 Apertura Champion (Tigres UANL Femenil), 2024 Clausura Champion (C.F. Monterrey), and the best runner-up (Club América).
Panama: Liga de Fútbol Femenino 2024 Apertura Champion (Sante Fe FC).
United States: 2023 NWSL Champion (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Shield Winner (San Diego Wave FC), and Shield Runner-Up (Portland Thorns FC).
What is the tournament format?
There will be a preliminary round in which the teams from Canada and El Salvador face off for the opportunity to join the group stage. In the group stage, the ten remaining teams will be split into two groups of five, with each team playing two home and two away games, facing each opponent in their group once.
When the group stage concludes, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the top team from Group A will face the second best team in Group B and the top team in Group B will face the second best team in Group A. These matches will take place at a yet to be determined central location. There will be both a final and third place match.
When will Concacaf W Champions Cup matches take place?
Matches will take place through August, September, and October 2024 for the preliminary and group stages. The final four matches will take place in May 2025, location undetermined at this time.
Preliminary Round: August 13-15, 2024
Group Stage Week 1: August 20-22, 2024
Group Stage Week 2: September 3-5, 2024
Group Stage Week 3: September 17-19, 2024
Group Stage Week 4: October 1-3, 2024
Group Stage Week 5: October 15-17, 2024
Final Round (semifinals, 3rd Place match, and Final): May 22-25, 2025
Click here for a comprehensive schedule through the Group Stage.