VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite are heading to El Salvador!
The 'Caps learned their draw for the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup on Thursday, and will start play in the preliminary round by playing at El Salvador’s Alianza FC between August 13-15. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.
The winner of the preliminary round match will advance to the group stage, facing United States sides San Diego Wave and Portland Thorns of the NWSL, Mexican side Club América Femenil, and Santa Fé of Panama in Group B. Two teams would be hosted in home matches, and the other two teams will be faced on the road. Schedule and locations for the Group Stage will be revealed at a further date.
The windows for the Group Stage are as follows:
- Group Stage Week 1: August 20-22, 2024
- Group Stage Week 2: September 3-5, 2024
- Group Stage Week 3: September 17-19, 2024
- Group Stage Week 4: October 1-3, 2024
- Group Stage Week 5: October 15-17, 2024
The top two finishers in each of the groups during the Group Stage will advance to the semifinals. Should Whitecaps FC advance out of the Group Stage they will face one of five opponents from Group A, including NJ/NY Gotham FC (United States), Tigres UANL (Mexico), CF Monterrey (Mexico), Alajuelense (Costa Rica) and Frazsiers Whip Women FC (Jamaica.)
The Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy earned Canada’s spot in the competition by winning the 2023 League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship, defeating CF Montreal 5-0 in the final after qualifying via their second straight League1 BC championship.
Alianza FC secured the final spot as the El Salvador 2023/24 Liga Primera Femenina Play-Off Winner, winning both the 2023 Apertura and 2024 Clausura titles. They are the most decorated club in the country’s top women’s division, winning the championship eight times.
The Concacaf W Champions Cup is the sole path through which Concacaf clubs can qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. FIFA recently announced that the first edition of the Womens' Club World Cup will feature 16 clubs and be played between January and February 2026.
For more information, stay tuned to @WhitecapsFC on social media and to whitecapsfc.com.
About Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy is a fully funded, full-time development program in Vancouver that maintains a standardized national curriculum for U15-U18 female players, feeding into Canada Soccer programs as an official National Development Centre (NDC). For more than a decade, the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy has played an important role in supporting the development of Canada's top young women's soccer talent, including players such as Canadian Olympic gold medallists Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, and Jayde Riviere. Whitecaps FC Girls Elite are two-time League1 BC champions, 2023 League1 Canada Inter-Provincial champions, as well as 2013 Gothia Cup and 2023 FIFA/Blue Stars Youth Cup international champions.
