League1 BC Women’s Division champions Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy will make history this week as they compete in the first match of the new Concacaf W Champions Cup.
The annual tournament that is debuting on Thursday will see the best women’s teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean compete to be crowned the region’s champions.
Whitecaps will take on Alianza Women FC in the competition’s Preliminary Round on Thursday, August 15 in San Salvador, kicking off at 5pm PT, for a place in Group B.
Representing Canada
Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy qualified for the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup campaign by winning the 2023 League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship.
They followed up that success in Langley, British Columbia, with an unbeaten season in League1 BC to top the Women’s Division regular-season standings and be crowned 2024 champions with victory against Burnaby FC on Finals Day at Swangard Stadium.
Their incredible form, which saw them drop points in just two L1BC games this year, continued in the latest iteration of the Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship in Hamilton, Ontario. Whitecaps saw off Calgary Blizzard 2-0 in Friday’s semifinal, before coming from behind twice to defeat CS Mont-Royal Outremont in yesterday’s final on penalties.
As a result of retaining their national crown, Whitecaps have secured their place in the 2025/26 campaign of the Concacaf W Champions Cup. But amidst the celebrations, they will be fully focused on Thursday’s matchup.
The hosts
Alianza Women FC play in the top flight of women’s soccer in El Salvador. The championship is fought for twice every year with apertura (opening) and clausura (closing) seasons, and Alianza have won the title eight times, five more than any other team.
The women’s team, part of Alianza FC who were founded in 1958, were most recently crowned champions of the 2024 Clausura, following up their 2023 Apertura victory which was their first championship since 2021. They had previously won at least one title every year since 2017.
Also in 2024, Alianza Women finished as runners-up in the UNCAF Women’s Interclub Championship – exclusive to Central American teams. It was the club’s best-ever finish in the competition having finished third in 2018 and 2019.
What happens next?
It will be an exciting matchup between the two respective national champions, and the winner of this preliminary game will advance into the fifth and final spot in Group B, which features teams from Mexico and the USA – including three-time National Women’s Soccer League champions Portland Thorns.
The Concacaf W Champions Cup Group Stage kicks off next week and will be played through to the middle of October, with each club taking on every other club in their group twice – at home and on the road. The group winners and runners-up will then qualify for the Finals in May 2025.
This new competition is the only path for Concacaf clubs to qualify for the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup which will debut in early 2026.