SEATTLE - Women's soccer in North America keeps on expanding and this time around, CONCACAF created a whole new competition that will see the region's best teams compete for the W Champions Cup.
A total of 11 teams will participate in the first edition of the tournament. The official draw will take place on June 6 while the preliminary rounds will kick off some time in August. The competition, similar to the format in the men's side, will run for several months and will conclude in May of 2025.
Teams from all over North and Central America and even the Caribbean will compete for the title. The winner of the competition will earn a spot in the also newly created FIFA Women's Club World Cup, set to take place in early 2026.
We take a look at all 11 teams qualified for the first-ever CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
Alajuelense - Costa Rica
The Costa Rican team secured its spot by winning the 2023 Super Copa Unión Femenina de Fútbol. Alajuelense has won six league titles and have won each of the last two UNCAF Women's Interclub titles.
Ten players on Alajuelense's squad were part of Costa Rica's team that reached the quarterfinals at the first-ever CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
Alianza FC - El Salvador
Alianza FC secured its place after winning back-to-back league titles in the Salvadorian league just a few days ago. Alianza FC is the most successful team in Salvadoran women's football history with eight crowns.
Since El Salvador created its women's league in 2016, Alianza FC has reached the final in 12 of the 16 tournaments including the last eight in a bounce.
Club América - Mexico
Two-time LIGA MX Femenil winners Club América secured one of the 11 spots for the competition thanks to back-to-back runners-up finishes in the Mexican league.
América lost both the Apertura 2023 and Clausura 2024 finals to Tigres and Rayadas, respectively, after winning their second league title during the Clausura 2023. América is one of Mexico's best teams, having reached the LIGA MX Femenil final in each of the last four tournaments.
Frazsiers Whip Women FC - Jamaica
The representative from the Caribbean will come from the Jamaican league. Between 2018 and 2022, the Jamaican Women's Premier League went on hiatus due to lack of sponsorship and support as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
But that changed in 2022, with 10 participating teams divided into two zones. The best team out of the bunch was Frazsiers Whip Women FC, who finished the 2022-23 season as the JWPL champions.
NJ/NY Gotham FC - United States
The reigning NWSL champions, NJ/NY Gotham FC, earned their place in the competition after defeating the OL Reign (now Seattle Reign) in the 2023 final.
With players such as World Cup winners Kelley O'Hara, Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn, Gotham FC has been one of the best teams in NWSL for the past few seasons. Since 2021, they have two runners-up finishes in the NWSL Challenge Cup on top of their first NWSL title in 2023.
Portland Thorns FC - United States
One of the elite NWSL teams and three-time NWSL champions Portland Thorns qualified as the next best club in the 2023 NWSL Shield standings. With San Diego topping the league in 2023, Portland had the second-most points among all teams with 35.
The Thorns are the team with the most championships in NWSL history with three and have also won the league's Shield title twice.
Rayadas - Mexico
The reigning LIGA MX Femenil champions made the cut after defeating América in the Clausura 2024 final for their third league title.
Since the creation of LIGA MX Femenil in 2017, only Tigres (155) has won more regular season games than Rayadas (150) in the Mexican league.
In 2022, Rayadas finished runners-up in the last edition of the Women's International Champions Cup, losing in the final to powerhouse Olympique Lyon.
Santa Fe FC - Panama
One of the three Central American teams to participate in the competition will come from Panama. Santa Fe FC secured its place by winning the 2024 Liga de Fútbol Femenino title.
It was the team's first-ever league crown, ending Tauro FC's dominance of four consecutive titles.
San Diego Wave FC - United States
San Diego Wave FC will be at the W Champions Cup thanks to their 2023 NWSL Shield win. Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw and María Sánchez are just a few of the names that form part of their star-studded roster.
In the two seasons since the Wave entered NWSL (2022), they have finished among the top three teams in the league during the regular season (3rd in 2022, 1st in 2023).
Tigres UANL - Mexico
Tigres, Mexico's most laureated team since the inception of LIGA MX Femenil, will participate as Apertura 2023 champions. Tigres counts with players such as World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso and Jacqueline Ovalle.
Their six league titles are double the amount of any team in LIGA MX Femenil and they have never finished below third place in the regular season.
Vancouver Whitecaps - Canada
Last but not least, Vancouver Whitecaps will be Canada's lone representative at the new tournament. They qualified by winning the 2023 League1 Women's Inter-Provincial Championship and will enter in the preliminary round where they will face Alianza FC. The winner of the tie will advance to the group stage.
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