SheBelieves Cup

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The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational women's association football tournament held in different cities in the United States in late February or early March. In its first three years (2016, 2017, and 2018), it was contested by the same four teams: the United States, England, France, and Germany. Since 2019, the tournament lineup has featured different teams each year. For 2024, due to the change in FIFA competition windows and the staging of the Concacaf W Gold Cup in February and March, the format of the SheBelieves Cup was changed. While there were still four participants, there were four matches instead of the usual six and the teams only played semifinals, a third-place match and the championship game.[1]

SheBelieves Cup
Organizing bodyUnited States Soccer Federation
Founded2016; 8 years ago (2016)
Region United States
Number of teams4
Current champion(s) United States (7th title)
Most successful team(s) United States (7 titles)
WebsiteOfficial website
2024 SheBelieves Cup

The SheBelieves cup is played at the same time of year as the Algarve Cup, the Arnold Clark Cup, the Cup of Nations, the Cyprus Women's Cup, the Istria Cup, the Pinatar Cup, the Tournoi de France, the Turkish Women's Cup and the Women's Revelations Cup.

History

The SheBelieves movement was inspired by the U.S. national team in their 2015 run-up to the World Cup. The movement is meant to encourage young women to achieve their dreams, regardless of whether or not they are tied to athletics. As part of regular society, SheBelieves is dedicated to women's empowerment. This theme of empowerment has evolved into a bond between U.S. soccer and its fans, as the team has spread this message to communities across the country. United States Soccer serves as SheBelieves Ambassadors, launching a new program to unite and elevate nonprofits, women's sports organizations, and influencers with the shared goal of positively impacting girls and women.[2]

SheBelieves Summit

The SheBelieves Summit, which took place virtually in 2021, is a major component of programming around the tournament itself. Its purpose is to empower young women and girls using the three core pillars of SheBelieves: confidence, career, and community.[3] The summit includes panels, fireside chats, and breakout sessions designed to provide event attendees with hands-on experience and tools for success.[3] Event programming features various female speakers, from women in STEM to professional athletes.[4]

In its third year, some notable speakers for the 2021 event included:[4]

Tournament format

The four invited teams play in a round-robin tournament. Points awarded in the group stage followed the formula of three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. A tie in points would be decided by goal differential; other tie-breakers are used as needed in the following order: goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head result, and a fair play score based on the number of yellow and red cards.

Results

#YearWinnerRunner-upThird placeFourth placeTeams
12016
United States

Germany

England

France
4
22017
France

Germany

England

United States
4
32018
United States

England

France

Germany
4
42019
England

United States

Japan

Brazil
4
52020
United States

Spain

England

Japan
4
62021
United States

Brazil

Canada

Argentina
4
72022
United States

Iceland

Czech Republic

New Zealand
4
82023
United States

Japan

Brazil

Canada
4
92024
United States

Canada

Brazil

Japan
4

Medals

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  United States (USA)7108
2  England (ENG)1135
3  France (FRA)1012
4  Germany (GER)0202
5  Brazil (BRA)0123
6  Canada (CAN)0112
 Japan (JPN)0112
8  Iceland (ISL)0101
 Spain (ESP)0101
10  Czech Republic (CZE)0011
Totals (10 entries)99927

Nations

Team201620172018201920202021202220232024Years
 United States1st4th1st2nd1st1st1st1st1st9
 Argentina4th1
 Brazil4th2nd3rd3rd4
 Canada3rd4th2nd3
 Czech Republic3rd1
 England3rd3rd2nd1st3rd5
 France4th1st3rd3
 Germany2nd2nd4th3
 Iceland2nd-1
 Japan3rd4th2nd4th4
 New Zealand4th1
 Spain2nd1
Total (12)444444444_

Summary

As of 2024
RankTeamPartMWDLGFGAGDPoints
1  United States92619524715+3262
2  England5155371716+118
3  France39333108+212
4  Brazil4115061215−311
5  Germany39324710−311
6  Canada38404611−58
7  Japan4112271218−68
8  Spain1320142+26
9  Iceland1320136−36
10  Czech Republic1302112−12
11  New Zealand1301206−61
12  Argentina13003111−100

Best player

YearPlayer
2016 Alex Morgan
2017 Camille Abily
2020 Alexia Putellas
2021 Rose Lavelle
2022 Catarina Macario
2023 Mallory Swanson
2024 Sophia Smith

Top goalscorers

As of April 9, 2024
RankNameTotal
1 Mallory Swanson8
2 Megan Rapinoe7
3 Ellen White5
Alex Morgan
5 Debinha4
Christen Press
7 Eugénie Le Sommer3
8 Vanessa Gilles2
Adriana Leon
Toni Duggan
Beth Mead
Camille Abily
Anja Mittag
Mana Iwabuchi
Yuka Momiki
Lucía García
Alexia Putellas
Tobin Heath
Carli Lloyd
Catarina Macario
Kristie Mewis
Sophia Smith

References