The National Women’s Soccer League and LIGA MX Femenil announced that all 14 teams in the NWSL and six teams from LIGA MX Femenil will compete from July 19-August 2. This new Summer Cup will take place during the Olympic break of the NWSL regular season.
NWSL Fills Olympic Break Window
The 33-game tournament will include 30 group contests with four teams in the semifinal round to take place the week of August 4. Following the results, the championship match will take place the weekend of October 25-27.
With a total of five groups, the games are confirmed to take place across 15 various stadiums in the USA.
While teams have previously played friendlies against teams outside the NWSL, this Summer Cup will mark the first of its kind as the NWSL regular season will pause from July 15-August 18 due to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Today’s announcement marks a historic milestone for women’s soccer in North America and another significant step in the continued elevation of our global game,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “We’re excited to partner with LIGA MX Femenil to create additional competitive opportunities for our athletes, unlock new rivalries, tap into our collective fan bases and continue our shared mission of raising the value, visibility and global standard of our sport.”
As the NWSL Challenge Cup has also been reformatted to a single-game matchup, this opportunity for players to get in minutes during the regular season window allows for fans to stay engaged in the game at the club level while still being able to enjoy the Olympics.
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Connections
Previously clubs such as the Houston Dash and Angel City FC have participated in international friendlies with Liga MX Femenil teams such as Tigres and Pumas.
For the Dash, their playing days of competing with a Liga MX team began in 2018. Additionally, Angel City FC launched a two-year partnership with Tigres Femenil as they split a total of four games to be played in Los Angeles, CA and Monterrey, Mexico.
The NWSL crossover to Liga MX Femenil includes strong ties as Dash forward Maria Sánchez previously played for Tigres. In the NWSL offseason, former Racing Louisville forward Thembi Kgatlana went to Tigres for a record-breaking NWSL transfer fee.
Additionally, Racing Louisville Assistant Coach Carmelina Moscato served as the head coach of Tigres and became the first foreign-born coach to win a Mexican league title in 2022 with the club. Although the milestone marked the fifth Liga MX title for Tigres, Moscato became the first female coach to win a trophy with the club.
The full schedule for the Summer Cup can be found here.
