March 2 – With the W Gold Cup now entering its semi-final stage, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has written an open letter published on the confederation’s website emphasising that the tournament is “the continuation of a journey that started with our W strategy.”
Montagliani promises that the investment in the women’s game will grow with more competition and opportunities, at the same going hand-in-hand with a push to ensure that growth is sustainable.
The inaugural W Gold Cup has seen Concacaf invite the leading four nations from Conmebol to compete with their eight qualified countries in the 12-team tournament.
It has been an unequivocal success in terms of increasing the elite competition opportunities for the leading nations on both continents, as well as providing a gateway to tournament competition for a number of developing Concacaf nations that have invested in their women’s game.
By opening up its leading to increased competition, the tournament has also served to open a pathway for aspiring nations to have their shot on the pick stage.
Commercially the W Gold Cup has also provided a meaningful opportunity on an international level for broadcasters and sponsors to support the women’s game creating a much more ‘rounded’ commercial package for partners. The tournament has seen the debut of a number of new Concacaf sponsors including Aramco, Hilton, Neau water and ball supplier Molten.
“When Concacaf launched our W strategy in 2019, our focus was on elevating standards across the whole region and providing every Member Association with the support they need to reach their next level. We launched initiatives to develop coaches and referees, we supported federations to develop off the pitch through capacity building initiatives and we delivered a consistent calendar of competitions,” said Montagliani.
Making the point that this is not just about the traditional women’s nations flexing their playing muscle, he referenced “El Salvador’s thrilling win over Guatemala (in the preliminary play-off for a group stage spot) and the excellent football played by Puerto Rico, to the landmark performance by Mexico in their win over the United States which caught the imagination of fans and media across the world.”
In those respects the tournament has made an impact throughout the region. An impact Montagliani says is just the start, promising more investment in competitions and opportunities for coaches and players.
This tournament is “the continuation of a journey that started with our W strategy. We have long had our nations that have had expectations of the highest level but what our W strategy is all about is creating the opportunities for more stories like we have seen with Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. We will continue to strategically invest in development and in competitions to support our federations, and to provide opportunities for coaches and players. And we will continue to work with stakeholders to engage partners who can support us with the continued sustainable economic growth of women’s football in our region.”
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