WOMEN'S SOCCER
What is Summer Cup, new NWSL-Liga MX Femenil tournament? Teams, dates
The NWSL and the Liga MX Femenil have announced the creation of a new inter-league tournament involving US and Mexican clubs.
The US and Mexican women’s soccer leagues are to team up for a new cup competition whose inaugural edition will be held later this year, it has been announced.
Named the Summer Cup, the inter-league tournament will see six clubs from Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil join all 14 teams from the American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
How will the Summer Cup work?
In the 2024 Summer Cup’s group phase, each Mexican team will be placed alongside three NWSL clubs in a four-team section - with the exception of Group C, which has two sides from each country. Only the four group winners with the highest points totals will progress to the knockout stage.
The Liga MX Femenil teams included in the opening Summer Cup will be the six sides who accumulated the most points across 2023′s Clausura and Apertura tournaments. They are: Tigres (82 points), América (79), Chivas (79), Rayadas (77), Pachuca (63) and Tijuana (60).
When is the first Summer Cup?
The 2024 Summer Cup is to kick off on Friday 19 July, with the semi-finals scheduled to take place at the beginning of August. The final is slated for the weekend of 25-27 October.
“Historic milestone” - NWSL chief
“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 the NWSL’s 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 fanbases and continue our shared mission of raising the value, visibility and global standard of our sport.”
The Liga MX Femenil’s director, Mariana Gutiérrez, added: “The alliance we are announcing today is a great achievement for women’s football in our region and around the world - two great women’s professional football leagues coming together to advance the sport in our area, expand and grow the industry, build a new sporting identity and rivalry, strengthen partnerships beyond the pitch, inspire more people to join the movement, build community and open up new opportunities for players to have new windows of internationalization.”
Summer Cup arrives on back of Leagues Cup
The creation of the Summer Cup follows the recent growth of the Leagues Cup, an inter-league men’s tournament featuring clubs from MLS - the top flight of US and Canadian soccer - and Mexico’s Liga MX.
Initially an eight-team competition, the Leagues Cup now includes all 47 MLS and Liga MX clubs. The event’s 2023 edition, the first since its expansion, was won by Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who beat fellow MLS team Nashville in the final.