SAN DIEGO (May 7, 2024) – Concacaf has announced the 2024 Concacaf W Champions Cup official draw procedures and pots including details for San Diego Wave FC. The Wave is one of three NWSL teams who will compete in the confederation’s inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup.
The Concacaf W Champions Cup is a new annual tournament that includes the best clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean and crowns the region’s women’s club champion. The tournament is also the sole path through which clubs in Concacaf can qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which FIFA has committed to launching in the near future.
Wave FC earned its spot in the inaugural competition by winning the 2023 NWSL Shield. The other two NWSL teams are Gotham FC and Portland Thorns. The tournament will begin later this summer in August, and will feature two Wave FC home games in San Diego as part of the group stage. Schedule and ticket information will be released at a later date following the official competition draw on June 6.
OFFICIAL DRAW
The official draw for the 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup will take place on Thursday, June 6. In accordance with the competition’s regulations and each Member Associations and club’s qualification criteria, the 11 participants have been divided into six pots as follows:
Pot 1: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (CAN1) and TBC (SLV1)
Pot 2: NJ/NY Gotham FC (USA1) and San Diego Wave FC (USA2)
Pot 3: Portland Thorns FC (USA3) and Tigres UANL Femenil (MEX1)
Pot 4: Club America (MEX2 and MEX3) and TBC (MEX2 and MEX3)
Pot 5: LD Alajuelense (CRC1) and TBC (PAN)
Pot 6: Frazsiers Whip Football Limited (JAM1) and the winner of the Preliminary Round (WPR)
DRAW PROCEDURES
The draw will be carried out using a single-blind system and in two parts. First, a sphere will be drawn from Pot 1 to determine the host of the Preliminary Round. Once confirmed, the Group Stage Draw will begin.
Starting with Pot 2, the first club will be drawn and placed in Group A, position A1, followed by the second club in Group B, position B2. The same process will be used for Pots 3, 4, 5, and 6, always placing the first club drawn in Group A and the second club in Group B.
At the conclusion of the Group Stage Draw, each Group will contain no more than one club from each pot.
The Semifinals, Third Place Match, and Final, where the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup champion will be crowned, will be centralized in a venue to be announced.
COMPETITION FORMAT
The 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup includes a Preliminary Round, followed by Group and Knockout Stage play. The Preliminary Round Play-in will be a single-leg match between two clubs, with the winner advancing to the Group Stage.
The Group Stage will feature 10 clubs divided into two groups of five clubs each. Each club will play every club in its group once, for a total of four matches per club (two at home and two away). At the conclusion of Group Stage play, the group winners and runners-up (four clubs) will progress to the competition’s final four.
The Semifinals, Third Place Match, and Final, where the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup champion will be crowned, will be centralized in a venue to be announced.
COMPETITION DATES
Official Draw: June 6, 2024
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
The other three participating clubs will be confirmed before the official draw as follows:
- El Salvador (1): 2023/24 Liga Primera Femenina Play-Off Winner (SLV1)
- Mexico (1): Liga MX Femenil 2024 Clausura Champion or best runner-up (MEX2 or MEX3)
- Panamá (1): Liga de Fútbol Femenino 2024 Apertura Champion (PAN1)
Further details about this exciting new competition, including the draw procedures, will be announced in the coming weeks.
