The final round of the second Women’s Champions Cup, an intercontinental competition for club teams, will be played at Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium in late January, FIFA announced Sunday.
asserted
FIFA → play → January
No U.S. women’s club is set to play.
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club → set → ?
Mexico’s Club America will represent CONCACAF after defeating the Washington Spirit in the confederation’s W Champions Cup in May.
uncertain
America → represent → May
Spanish powerhouse Barcelona also has qualified for the four-team final round as the representative for UEFA.
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Barcelona → qualify → UEFA
The winner of October’s Copa Libertadores Femenina will qualify for CONMEBOL.
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winner → qualify → CONMEBOL
The Champions Cup was created to give women’s professional club teams greater opportunities for global competition, while building on the success of the game’s marquee national team tournament, the Women’s World Cup.
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Cup → create → tournament
“You’re just seeing a lot more attention and growth to the sport, and I think that’s really what we’re trying to do, is not just focus on national teams, but now help and grow and develop and stimulate the players’ week-in and week-out environment, and that’s again through minimum standards.
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that → see → standards
It’s through financial investment.
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It → ’ → investment
It’s through creating competitions,” FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis said.
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Ellis → ’ → competitions
Ellis, former coach of the U.S. women’s national team, told The Associated Press that Nu Stadium was chosen because it is a soccer-specific venue and a suitable size (26,700) for the competition.
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it → tell → competition
FIFA previously announced it was targeting the Miami area, which has demonstrated community support for soccer through a variety of competitions in recent years, Ellis said.
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Ellis → announce → years
The time zone and mild winter temperatures also were considered, as well as the fact that the United States has a strong domestic pro league, the National Women’s Soccer League.
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States → consider → league
In addition to Club America, Barcelona and the CONMEBOL representative, teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania will compete for the fourth spot in Miami.
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teams → compete → Miami
Auckland United FC, which won the OFC Champions League, will face AFC Champions League winners Naegohyang Women’s FC in October.
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which → win → October
The winner of that match will advance to face Africa’s representative from the CAF Women’s Champions League tournament in December.
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winner → advance → December
Arsenal won the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup with a 3-2 victory over Brazil’s Corinthians in February.
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Arsenal → win → February
Arsenal earned $2.3 million for winning the intercontinental tournament.
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Arsenal → earn → tournament
Corinthians took home $1 million as the runner-up.
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Corinthians → take → up
The Champions Cup also builds on the growing number of regional club competitions, led by the success of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
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Cup → build → League
“Part of building out a club competition is also with that will come club minimum standards,” Ellis said.
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Ellis → build → competition
“We’re working with the confederations now to make sure that there are minimum standards for you to be able to compete.
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you → work → confederations
So when you try and create a competition, it’s not just creating a competition that brings global recognition to clubs and helps promote players, etc.
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that → try → players
There’s also the incentive of stimulating growth in leagues and in confederations that obviously host the leagues.
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that → ’ → leagues
FIFA also is introducing a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup, which will launch in 2028 and be played every four years.
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which → introduce → 2028
The new Champions Cup will be held every year, except years when the Club World Cup takes place.
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Cup → hold → place
Ellis said when FIFA was considering the Champions Cup, there were only two confederations that had competitions for a confederation winner: UEFA and CONMEBOL.
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that → say → winner
“Once we announced this competition, we’ve seen now we have all six of our confederations that have a competition,” she said.
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she → announce → competition
“So sometimes when you build a competition, it actually drives investment in people wanting to participate and people wanting to invest in club football.”
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people → build → football
The Aporia
