da 888casino： CONCACAF has announced the inaugural launch of the W Champions Cup, featuring 11 sides from the USA, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
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New CONCACAF W Champions Cup announcedThree NWSL sides to feature, 11 total teamsStarts in August 2024WHAT HAPPENED?
The competition will be the first-ever tournament to pit North and Central American clubs against each other, with play slated to begin this August.
Three teams from the NWSL, three from Mexico's Liga MX Femenil and five from other countries around the region make up the field for the competition's debut. The winner of a preliminary round match between Canada and El Salvador's representative will join the other nine sides to make up 10-total teams in two pools of five teams.
Each team will play four-total group stage games, with two home and two away, from August to October this year. The top two teams from each group, four total, will then qualify for a final-four event to be played in May 2025.
AdvertisementWHAT A FIFA AND CONCACAF REPRESENATIVE SAID
"Launching the Concacaf W Champions Cup is a very exciting next step on our journey of developing all aspects of women's football in our region," said Concacaf president and FIFA vice president, Victor Montagliani.
"When we launched our Concacaf W women's football strategy in 2019 we focused on creating an enhanced calendar of national team competitions that benefited all of our Member Associations, and on providing opportunities for women and girls to develop a passion for football at all levels of the sport. We have made significant progress in those areas, albeit with much work more to do, and the growth of leagues and clubs is an important next phase in our strategy.
"The W Champions Cup will provide a tremendous sporting opportunity for clubs in Concacaf, and we look forward to the first edition commencing in August this year, to crowning a first champion in May 2025, and to delivering an exciting pathway to the new FIFA Women's Club World Cup."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The format will pit 11 teams annually from the following designations to go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all competition. To qualify, clubs will qualify through their respective domestic leagues based on "sporting merit through criteria which must be proposed by their Member Association and ratified by Concacaf."
Canada (Women's Premier League)One club in Preliminary RoundCosta Rica (Liga Promerica)One club in Group StageEl Salvador (El Salvador Liga Femenina)One club in Preliminary RoundJamaica (JFF Women's League)One club in Group StagePanama (Liga De Futbol Femenino)One club in Group StageUnited States (NWSL)Three clubs in Group StageMexico (Liga MX Femenil)Three clubs in Group StageGettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE CONCACAF W CHAMPIONS CUP?
The competition is slated to start this August, and it's unknown who has or who will qualify for the 2024/25 edition, but it's an exciting development for the domestic game in North America. For the NWSL in particular, it's an opportunity for some of the world's best to test themselves against new foes in a new competition.