 | This article needs to be updated.(February 2024) |
| Organizing body | OnSide Entertainment FXE Futbol Agrinzonis Management Group |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 |
| Number of teams | 4 |
| Current champion(s) | NJ/NY Gotham FC (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Atletico Madrid NJ/NY Gotham FC OL Reign Racing Louisville FC (1 title each) |
| Website | thewomenscup |
The Women's Cup (often stylized as TWC) is an annual club women's soccer invitational tournament originally hosted by Racing Louisville FC in the United States. [1]
Launched by OnSide Entertainment, FXE Futbol, and Agrinzonis Management Group in 2021, before the formation of a FIFA-organized club world championship similar to the men's FIFA Club World Cup, The Women's Cup was viewed to provide opportunities for prominent women's club teams from different confederations to compete against one another, and was seen as a stepping stone for the eventual formation of the FIFA Women's Club World Cup, similar to the then-active Women's International Champions Cup. [2]
The inaugural 2021 TWC was a four-team tournament [3] [4] which saw the hosts win in a dramatic shoot-out. TWC expanded to feature six North American, European, and Asian women's soccer teams competing for the championship in 2022. [5] 2023 was the first year to see a staging of The Women's Cup outside of the United States, and 2024 was the first year to see multiple stagings in the same calendar year with the introduction of the "Global Series", with the champions of each tournament slated to play against each other in February 2025 as a "final four". [6] The first 2024 tournament, stylized as TWC Colombia, was played at Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Colombia, and featured four teams: NJ/NY Gotham FC and Racing Louisville FC from the NWSL; and América de Cali and Deportivo Cali of the Colombian Women's Football League. It was held during the NWSL preseason and scheduled as two doubleheaders on February 27 and March 2. [7] This was followed by TWC Louisville and TWC Kansas City, both held in summer.
| Year | Host | Winners | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Louisville |  Racing Louisville FC | 2–2 [8] (7–6 p) |  FC Bayern Munich |
| 2022 | Louisville | OL Reign | 2–1 | Racing Louisville FC |
| 2023 | Madrid |  Atlético Madrid | 1–0 [9] |  AC Milan |
| 2024 | Colombia | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 3–1 [10] | Racing Louisville FC |
| Louisville | Juventus FC | 1–0 |  Palmeiras | |
| Kansas City | Kansas City Current | 1–0 | Atlético Madrid |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third Place | Fourth Place | Total Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racing Louisville FC | 1 (2021) | 2 (2022, 2024 C) | 1 (2024 L) | 4 | |
| Atletico Madrid | 1 (2023) | 1 (2024 K) | 2 | ||
| OL Reign | 1 (2022) | 1 | |||
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | 1 (2024 C) | 1 | |||
| Juventus FC | 1 (2024 L) | 1 | |||
| Kansas City Current | 1 (2024 K) | 1 | |||
| AC Milan | 1 (2023) | 1 (2022) | 2 | ||
| FC Bayern Munich | 1 (2021) | 1 | |||
| Palmeiras | 1 (2024 L) | 1 | |||
 América de Cali | 2 (2023, 2024 C) | 2 | |||
 PSG | 1 (2021) | 1 | |||
 Club América | 1 (2022) | 1 | |||
 INAC Kobe Leonessa | 1 (2024 K) | 1 | |||
| Chicago Red Stars | 1 (2021) | 1 | |||
 River Place | 1 (2023) | 1 | |||
| Deportivo Cali | 1 (2024 C) | 1 | |||
 Colo-Colo | 1 (2024 L) | 1 | |||
 Mamelodi Sundowns | 1 (2024 K) | 1 | |||
| Tokyo Verdy | 1 | ||||
 Tottenham Hotspur | 1 |
In 2022, matches of the Women's Cup were broadcast via Paramount+. [11]
The 2024 Summer tournaments were broadcast via vizio's WatchFree+ program in the United States and on DAZN in Europe.
Kelley Maureen O'Hara is an American former professional soccer player. She represented the United States national team on 160 occasions, winning two FIFA Women's World Cups and an Olympic gold medal. She spent most of her club career with National Women's Soccer League club NJ/NY Gotham FC. Known for her intensity, she played primarily as a wingback but played as a forward in college and occasionally played an attacking role in her professional career.
Carmelina Moscato is a Canadian soccer coach and former professional player who is currently an assistant coach for Racing Louisville FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played as a defender for UPC Tavagnacco in the Serie A; Piteå IF and Dalsjöfors GoIF in the Damallsvenskan; the Chicago Red Stars, Boston Breakers and Seattle Reign FC in the NWSL; and Western Sydney Wanderers in the Australian W-League. She made 94 appearances for the Canadian national team. She served as the commissioner of League1 Ontario Women's Division from 2019 to 2020. She was the director of women's football for the Bahamas Football Association in 2021.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a women's professional soccer league at the top of the United States league system. The league comprises 14 teams. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation.
Raquel "Rocky" Rodríguez Cedeño is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League and the Costa Rica national team.
Lynn Raenie Williams is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. The NWSL's all-time leading scorer, she was drafted out of Pepperdine University by the Western New York Flash in 2015.
Rosemary Kathleen Lavelle is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.
Carson Leighann Pickett is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left back for the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She is an advocate for limb difference awareness and was born without a left forearm and hand.
Kailen Mary Iacovoni Sheridan is a Canadian professional soccer goalkeeper for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Canada national team. She previously played for Sky Blue FC / NJ/NY Gotham FC and played college soccer for the Clemson Tigers. She was named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year with the Wave in 2022.
Jaelin Marie Howell is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Florida State Seminoles and was awarded the Hermann Trophy two years in a row. She was drafted by Racing Louisville FC with the second overall pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft.
Emily Ann Fox is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the United States national team.
Alana Simone Cook is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League and the United States national team.
Nealy Cameron Martin is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender or defensive midfielder for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Alabama Crimson Tide. She has occasionally served as an emergency goalkeeper, most notably in the closing minutes of Gotham's victory in the 2023 NWSL Championship.
The 2021 Racing Louisville FC season was the club's first season of play. Racing Louisville competed in the National Women's Soccer League, the top flight of professional women's soccer in the United States.
Elexa Marie Bahr Gutiérrez is a footballer who plays as a forward for Racing Louisville FC. Born in the United States, she plays for the Colombia women's national team. She represented Colombia at the 2022 Copa América Femenina, where the Colombians finished as runner-up, as well as the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She has previously represented Honduras at under-20 level.
Savannah Marie DeMelo is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Racing Louisville FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was the fourth pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft after playing collegiately for the USC Trojans. She debuted for the United States national team at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Michelle Ivory Cooper is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Duke Blue Devils, where she won the Hermann Trophy in 2022. She was picked second overall by the Current in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
Elisabeth Charlotte Jean is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Racing Louisville FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Reilyn Turner is an American professional soccer forward who plays for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for UCLA Bruins before being picked sixth overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft by Racing Louisville FC.
Kennedy Linh Fuller is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was named the national Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023. She signed with Angel City at the age of 16 in 2024. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
The 2024 Portland Thorns FC season was the team's twelfth season as a professional women's soccer team. Thorns FC played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. The Thorns opened the NWSL season against the Kansas City Current, playing in the first game at the Current's newly built CPKC Stadium, and finished in sixth place to qualify for the playoffs, where they lost in the quarterfinals to third-seeded NJ/NY Gotham FC.
