First-ever CONCACAF W Gold Cup kicks off next year in US

First-ever CONCACAF W Gold Cup kicks off next year in US

Fans cheer after the United States scored during the first half of a SheBelieves Cup soccer match against Brazil Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. The United States won 2-0. (AP Photo/LM Otero)© Provided by The Associated Press – Sports Fans cheer after the United States scored during the first half of a SheBelieves Cup soccer match against Brazil Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. The United States won 2-0. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The first CONCACAF W Gold Cup, a women's edition of the long-running men's tournament, will be played in the United States early next year.

The governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean announced Wednesday that qualification for teams that have not already earned berths will start in September. The host cities for the event will be announced later.

The W Gold Cup is part of the confederation’s overall strategy to create more opportunities for elite competition among women’s teams in the region.

“While there remains more work to do, I believe we are now truly beginning to see the benefits of that strategy, not least through the performances of the record six CONCACAF teams who have qualified for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand,” confederation President Victor Montagliani said in a statement.

The tournament opens on Feb. 17. After a six-team preliminary round, 12 teams will play in a group stage, including eight teams from CONCACAF and four teams from CONMEBOL, the South American region. The top teams advance to a knockout round ahead of the final on March 10, 2024.

The Gold Cup tournament will be played when the annual SheBelieves Cup is normally held. As a result, U.S. Soccer said it is looking at different dates for the domestic tournament next year.

The United States has already qualified for the tournament after winning the W Championship last summer, which also earned the Americans a spot in the Women's World Cup this summer and next year's Olympic Games.

The winner of the two-legged Olympic play-in between Canada and Jamaica in September will determine another automatic berth.

Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay also secured spots in the tournament based on the results of the 2022 Women’s Copa America.

The remaining participants among 33 participating nations will be determined via the Road to CONCACAF W Gold Cup qualifying tournament to be played during international competition windows this year. The draw for that tournament will be held in May.

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Futsal World Cup elite round draw

The FIFA Futsal World Cup elite round draw on 5 July will set five groups of four team to be played, in a home and away format, by 20 December. The procedure will be announced ahead of the ceremony.

Through to elite round so far

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Finland, France, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Portugal (holders), Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine

The contenders will be the 16 teams directly progressing from the main round groups and the four main round play-off winners in April.

  • Armenia are the only team that began in the preliminary round so far confirmed in the elite round, although they could yet be joined by Germany, Lithuania, Moldova and Sweden from the main round play-offs.
  • Portugal won the World Cup in 2021 in Lithuania as well as the last two Futsal EUROs and the first Futsal Finalissima in 2022; Spain were World Cup winners in 2000 and 2004.
  • As well as Portugal and Spain, Kazakhstan and Serbia also played at the 2021 World Cup. Czechia and Lithuania, who also were at those final tournaments, are in the main round-play-offs.
  • Other teams that have played in previous World Cups: Azerbaijan, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Ukraine. Belgium, Hungary and Netherlands, who are in the main round play-offs, are also among that number.

    • Full qualifying format and calendar

    The five eite round group winners qualify directly for the 2024 finals.

    The four best runners-up enter the elite round play-offs, drawn on 25 January 2024 and played between 8 and 17 April, for the remaining two European spots.

    If a European association is selected to host the finals, only the two best runners-up will enter the

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