The 11th annual SheBelieves Cup kicks off March 1 with four nations – the United States, Argentina, Canada, and Colombia – battling across three matchdays in Nashville, Columbus, and Harrison. 36 NWSL players are set to feature in the tournament, including 19 on the U.S. roster alone. In total, 12 NWSL clubs are represented on the U.S. squad — the most ever for a SheBelieves Cup roster – with the other four NWSL clubs finding representation on the host country’s opponents’ rosters.
The tournament also marks a celebratory moment off the field, as the finale on March 7 at Sports Illustrated Stadium will include a pregame retirement celebration honoring New Jersey and USWNT legend Tobin Heath.
This year’s SheBelieves Cup is just one piece of a massive international window. In total, 112 NWSL players have been called up to represent their national teams, competing in World Cup qualifiers, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), continental championships, and key friendlies. Every match is an audition and a proving ground as national teams prepare for the next World Cup cycle.
Tournament Schedule
March 1 – GEODIS Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
- Canada vs. Colombia – 2 p.m. ET
- USWNT vs. Argentina – 5 p.m. ET
March 4 – ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (Columbus, Ohio)
- Argentina vs. Colombia – 3:30 p.m. ET
- USWNT vs. Canada – 6:45 p.m. ET
March 7 – Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, N.J.)
- Canada vs. Argentina – 12:30 p.m. ET
- USWNT vs. Colombia – 3:30 p.m. ET
SheBelieves Cup Storylines
Expansion Clubs Represented
Both Boston Legacy and Denver Summit, the NWSL’s two newest clubs, will be represented by SheBelieves Cup participants. For Boston, Nichelle Prince will be playing for Canada and Joralyn Carabalí for Colombia. For Denver, Emma Regan, Janine Sonis, and Megan Reid will be representing Canada.
USWNT Roster Snapshot
As USWNT head coach Emma Hayes continues to narrow down her roster for the next World Cup cycle, she’s named a 26-player roster that averages 30.4 caps per player with three players with 100 plus caps under their belts: Denver Summit’s Lindsey Heaps (170) and Gotham’s Rose Lavelle (116) and Emily Sonnett (113). Lavelle, notably, made her USWNT debut at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. Meanwhile, Sonnett is the American with the most SheBelieves Cup appearances. It’s also the first roster in almost a year to not feature a single uncapped player.
Eight NWSL players are set to make their first SheBelieves Cup appearances:
- Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC)
- Lilly Reale (Gotham)
- Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC)
- Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit)
- Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage)
- Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC)
- Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC)
And of note, twenty players on this roster competed in a FIFA Youth Women’s World Cup at some point, a testament to the developmental pathway from youth national teams to the NWSL and senior USWNT.
A New Twist
Departing from tradition, all matches tied after regulation will go directly to penalty kicks instead of into two overtime periods. Teams that win the shootout will be rewarded in the standings, receiving a bonus point on top of their three points for being declared the winners of the match. Goal difference remains the primary tiebreaker.
