Gotham eager to secure victory in first Women’s Champions Cup
Gotham FC has already secured a league title and a confederation championship, so the logical progression is to pursue an intercontinental title, according to coach Juan Carlos Amorós.
The 2025 NWSL champions are aiming to claim the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup in England this week, beginning Wednesday with a semifinal match against Brazil’s Corinthians.
“The desire they have to win is remarkable. It’s part of their character,” Amorós remarked about Gotham. “They achieve one title and immediately start focusing on the next.”
UEFA Champions League titleholder Arsenal will face Morocco’s ASFAR in the later semifinal at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium. The championship match and a third-place playoff are scheduled for Sunday at Emirates Stadium, with the winner receiving $2.3 million and the runner-up earning $1 million.
Gotham emerged as an unexpected champion of the NWSL, entering the playoffs as the eighth seed and defeating the top-seeded Kansas City Current and the defending champion Orlando Pride before clinching the title with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit.
Gotham secured its place in the inaugural FIFA event by winning the first Concacaf Champions Cup, achieving a 1-0 win against Mexico’s Tigres last May.
“This is our goal: Competing in the semifinals, competing in the finals, striving to lift another trophy. That’s the expectation here at Gotham,” stated Gotham defender Mandy Freeman during the team’s preseason training in Spain. “We aim not only to be the first to win these types of tournaments but also to establish a legacy and consistently return to contend for championships.”
The NWSL regular season is set to commence on March 13, with Gotham beginning its campaign on March 14 in a home match against expansion team Boston Legacy FC.
The six-team women’s Champions Cup was established as an intercontinental championship for women’s club teams, building on the increasing number of regional club competitions, particularly the success of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
This initiative also leverages the expansion of women’s soccer worldwide. The 2025 Women’s European Championship in Switzerland achieved record attendance and viewership. At the club level, Barcelona’s triumph over Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final at Camp Nou attracted a world record crowd exceeding 91,000.
However, the launch of the new tournament has faced challenges. A global broadcast partner for the final stage was only announced two weeks ago, with DAZN stepping in. Sky Sports will air the matches in England.
FIFA is also set to introduce a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup, which will debut in 2028 and occur every four years. The new Champions Cup will take place annually, except in years when the Club World Cup is held.
The competition features one representative from each of the six confederations: UEFA (Europe), Concacaf (North and Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), CAF (Africa), OFC (Oceania), and AFC (Asia).
In addition to Arsenal’s qualification through the UEFA Champions League and Gotham’s entry via Concacaf’s Champions Cup, Corinthians secured a spot by winning the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores Femenina, while ASFAR qualified by winning the CAF Champions League.
Two continental champions were eliminated in earlier rounds: Auckland United from Oceania and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda from Asia.
The winners from UEFA, Concacaf, and CONMEBOL advance directly to the semifinals, while the champions from Africa, Asia, and Oceania must compete in a knockout round.
The NWSL had expressed interest in hosting, and there were discussions about a West Coast location for the final stage, but Arsenal’s league match against Chelsea on Sunday complicated that possibility. Consequently, London was ultimately selected.
The total prize pool for the six continental champions amounts to $3.9 million. In comparison, Arsenal received approximately $1.8 million in prize money for winning the Women’s Champions League last season.
The prize money represents “a clear statement of the belief in women’s club football and the players, teams, and competitions that are driving its ongoing growth,” stated FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
