May 11 – Having revamped its top men’s Champions Cup club competition, Concacaf has now turned to its W Champions Cup, unveiling a new and expanded format that will take effect in 2027.
Out goes the group stage and the centralised finals weekend. They have been replaced by a knockout-only format with 11 qualified clubs, 16 matches. For the 2027 edition, the Prelims are scheduled for July, followed by quarterfinals in August, Semi-finals in September, and the Final in October.
The competition will begin with two single-leg Prelims featuring five clubs. Two clubs will compete in the first stage, while the remaining three will enter directly into the second stage based on ranking. The winners will advance to the Quarterfinals, where they will join six pre-qualified clubs.
The Quarterfinals and Semifinals will be played over two legs, followed by a single-leg Final hosted by the best-performing team in the competition (based on the Quarterfinals and Semi-finals results only).
“This new format marks an important step forward for women’s club football in Concacaf,” said Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf. “By increasing the importance of every match, reducing gaps in the calendar, and delivering a more consistent competition flow, we are strengthening the overall experience for clubs, players, and fans.
The 2025/26 Concacaf W Champions Cup Finals – the last under the current format – are set for May 20-23, 2026, at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico.
Semi-final matchups will see Club América Femenil against NJ/NY Gotham FC, and Washington Spirit against CF Pachuca Femenil. They qualified as the top two teams from the two groups of five clubs (three from NWSL (USA), three from Liga MX Femenil (Mexico), and one from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama.
The W Champions Cup is the pathway for Concacaf’s clubs to qualify for international women’s club competitions.
Concacaf has been allocated 2.5 slots for the quadrennial Women’s Club World Cup, with the first edition scheduled for 2028. These berths will be distributed among the winners of the 2024/25 (NJ/NY Gotham FC), the winner of the upcoming 2025/26 W Champions Cup, and the winner of the 2027 edition.
“This evolution also reflects our continued commitment to the growth of women’s club football in the region and our football-first philosophy. We look forward to seeing these changes come to life in what promises to be an exciting 2027 edition,” said Montagliani.
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