The Women’s International Champions Cup kicks off Thursday — and it’s kind of a big deal.
While the men’s International Champions Cup is just a glorified list of preseason exhibitions, the women’s version actually means something. Aside from the UEFA Women’s Champions League, it’s rare for women’s clubs to face off against clubs from other countries, let alone continents. There is no Club World Cup for women, so the Women’s International Champions Cup fills the gaps left by FIFA’s lack of commitment to the women’s game.
Last year in the inaugural edition of the competition, NWSL champion North Carolina defeated European champion Lyon 1-0 to stake the claim as the best women’s club in the world. But that tournament was played during the Tournament of Nations, watering down the competition a bit.
Now four teams are gathering in Cary, North Carolina, for the 2019 WICC.
@FIFAWWC players
championship-winning teams
tournament— Women's ICC (@iccwomen) July 31, 2019
The 2019 Women’s International Champions Cup features semifinals on Thursday and a third-place match and final on Sunday. As defending champion, the Courage were asked back, as well as European champion Lyon. Manchester City, the winner of the FA Women’s League Cup, and Spanish champion Atletico Madrid were also invited. Atleti is the only club that was not involved last year, replacing PSG.
How To Watch Women's International Champions Cup 2019
The semifinal matches will be shown on ESPN+, a subscription streaming service that costs $5 per month or $50 per year.
The third-place match will be on ESPNews while the final will be broadcast on ESPN2.
2019 Women's International Champions Cup Schedule
- Lyon vs. Atletico Madrid, 5 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 15, Sahlen’s Stadium, Cary, N.C. (ESPN+)
- North Carolina Courage vs. Manchester City, 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 15, Sahlen’s Stadium, Cary, N.C. (ESPN+)
- Third-Place Match: Semifinal Losers, 5 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 18, Sahlen’s Stadium, Cary, N.C. (ESPNews)
- Final: Semifinal Winners, 7 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 18, Sahlen’s Stadium, Cary, N.C. (ESPN2)
Ideally, the field would be increased so as to include the likes of 2017 NWSL champion Portland, English champion Arsenal and perhaps some of Europe’s other big clubs, such as Wolfsburg and Barcelona. An eight-team Women’s International Champions Cup would be a lot more interesting than just a quick one-weekend tournament and definitely provide more global interest to the clubs involved. Or FIFA could show it cares about women and finally create a Women’s Club World Cup.
But the 2019 Women’s International Champions Cup will be important to see if Lyon can dethrone the Americans. European women’s football is growing immensely, but as we saw in France over the summer, the U.S. still has an edge over the rest of the world. Lyon — or any of the other European clubs — could start changing perceptions with a win this weekend.
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