SAN DIEGO (April 30, 2024) – San Diego Wave FC has officially been named by Concacaf as 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.
The first edition of the competition will feature 11 clubs from seven Member Associations and include a Preliminary Round, followed by a Group Stage and a centralized Final Four.
QUALIFICATION CRITERIA AND PARTICIPATING CLUBS
Following extensive consultation with all stakeholders, including its Member Associations, leagues, and clubs, the Concacaf Council has now reviewed and approved the proposed qualification criteria for clubs to qualify for the 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup.
The approved criteria per country and qualified clubs thus far are as follows:
Canada (1 club in the Preliminary Round): 2023 League1 Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship Winner (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Costa Rica (1 club in the Group Stage): 2023 Apertura and Clausura Unión Femenina de Fútbol Champion (LD Alajuelense).
El Salvador (1 club in the Preliminary Round): 2023/24 Liga Primera Femenina Play-Off Winner (to be played between the 2023 Apertura and 2024 Clausura Champions).
Jamaica (1 club in the Group Stage): 2022/23 Jamaica Women’s Premier League Champion (Frazsiers Whip Women FC).
Mexico (3 clubs in the Group Stage): Liga MX Femenil 2023 Apertura Champion (Tigres UANL Femenil), 2024 Clausura Champion (TBC), and the best runner-up (TBC based on aggregate regular season league points across both competitions).
Panama (1 club in the Group Stage): Liga de Fútbol Femenino 2024 Apertura Champion (TBC).
United States (3 clubs in the Group Stage): 2023 NWSL Champion (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Shield Winner (San Diego Wave FC), and Shield Runner-Up (Portland Thorns FC).
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.
OFFICIAL DRAW
The official draw for the 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup will take place on Thursday, June 6. At this event, where Concacaf will also unveil the tournament’s brand identity, the 10 clubs participating in the Group Stage will be divided into two groups of five clubs each.
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
Further details about this exciting new competition, including the draw procedures, will be announced in the coming weeks.
