NWSL Challenge Cup
Organizing bodyNational Women's Soccer League
FoundedMay 27, 2020 (2020-05-27)
RegionUnited States
Current champion(s)North Carolina Courage
(2nd title)
Most successful club(s)North Carolina Courage
(2 titles)
Television broadcastersCBS Sports
Websitehttps://www.nwslsoccer.com/
2023 NWSL Challenge Cup

The NWSL Challenge Cup, currently known as the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons,[1] is an annual competition organized by the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top-tier women's league in the United States soccer league system. The current (2023) cup holders are the North Carolina Courage.

The NWSL Challenge Cup was first held in 2020 as a one-off tournament to mark the league's return to action from the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] It was the first top-tier professional sports league in the United States to restart after COVID-19 lockdowns began.[3] Subsequently, the NWSL announced that it would return as an annual league cup competition.[4]

Format

2020–2023

For the first four years of the tournament, all NWSL teams would begin a group stage where they would play four to six games, usually split geographically. The group stage would then be followed by one or more knockout matches to determine the Cup winner. In 2020, all nine teams at the time were to play four games in a single pool, with eight teams advancing to the knockout stage.[5] In 2021, the ten teams at the time divided into two divisions of five teams, with the group winners qualifying for the final match.[6] In 2022 and 2023, the twelve teams at the time split into three groups of four, with the best runner-up joining the three group winners in a two-round knockout tournament.[7] For the 2023 season, the NWSL moved the tournament to run concurrently with the season, due to player concerns about injuries.[8]

2024 onward

In 2024, the NWSL Challenge Cup will transition to a single pre-season match between the current NWSL Shield holder and the current NWSL Champions,[9] a similar structure to other trophies worldwide such as the FA Community Shield.

Records and statistics

Results by team

Team Winners Runners-up Last won
North Carolina Courage 2 0 2023
Houston Dash 1 0 2020
Portland Thorns FC 1 0 2021
Chicago Red Stars 0 1 –
Racing Louisville FC 0 1 –
NJ/NY Gotham FC 0 1 –
Washington Spirit 0 1 –

List of finals

Season Winners Score Runners-up Venue Attendance Player of the Final Tournament MVP
2020 Houston Dash 2–0 Chicago Red Stars Rio Tinto Stadium 0 (behind closed doors) Shea Groom (Houston Dash) Rachel Daly (Houston Dash)
2021 Portland Thorns FC 1–1
6–5 (p)		 NJ/NY Gotham FC Providence Park n/a Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC) Debinha (North Carolina Courage)
2022 North Carolina Courage 2–1 Washington Spirit Sahlen's Stadium 3,163 Kerolin (North Carolina Courage) Debinha (North Carolina Courage)
2023 North Carolina Courage 2–0 Racing Louisville FC Sahlen's Stadium 3,068 Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage) Kristen Hamilton (Kansas City Current)
2024 NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. San Diego Wave FC TBA TBA TBA TBA

References

  1. ↑ "NWSL Announces 2023 Season Schedule Footprint". OL REIGN: WE ARE THE BOLD.
  2. ↑ Levine, Matthew (May 27, 2020). "NWSL announces 2020 Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  3. ↑ Goff, Stephen (June 25, 2020). "NWSL Challenge Cup opens this weekend, making women's soccer first team sport back". Washington Post. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  4. ↑ "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework". NWSL. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  5. ↑ Levine, Matthew (May 27, 2020). "NWSL announces 2020 Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret". www.NWSLSoccer.com. National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  6. ↑ "NWSL Announces 2021 Challenge Cup Presented by Secret Opener in Houston". www.NWSLSoccer.com. National Women's Soccer League. March 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  7. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League announce 2022 Challenge Cup format" (PDF). www.nwslsoccer.com. December 8, 2023.
  8. ↑ Yanchulis, Kate (November 17, 2022). "NWSL Challenge Cup will take place in-season after scheduling, injury concerns". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  9. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League Announces 2024 Schedule Footprint, Competition Calendar". www.NWSLSoccer.com. National Women's Soccer League. December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
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