The USWNT crushed Panama 5-0 to improve its record at the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship to 2-0 with a goal difference of +11, all but guaranteeing a place in the semifinals of the competition and moving one step closer to automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup in France.

The 2018 Concacaf Women's Championship schedule kicks off Thursday in Cary, North Carolina, with the USWNT facing off against Mexico. The tournament doubles as qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. It’s kind of a big deal, with two of the world’s top five teams involved, fighting for three and a half World Cup berths. 

Here’s everything you need to know, from the Concacaf Women's Championship schedule and preview to why it matters and how to watch it.

Luka Modric has claimed The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 award ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah (and dare I say it at risk of being murdered, Lionel Messi), but that contentious decision pales compared to everything else that unfolded at a star-studded gala (sans Messi and Ronaldo) in London on Monday evening.  

On Wednesday, USWNT coach Jill Ellis released her list of 20 players that will represent the U.S. in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship set to take place next month. The tournament, which will be held in three different U.S. cities from October 4-17, will serve as the North American qualifiers for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Eight teams will battle it out for the top three spots to book their ticket to France. Here are the American women who will hoping to lead the defending champions to the World Cup finals:

In less than three weeks, the Trinidad and Tobago women's national team will face off against the best teams in the region at the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship, which doubles as 2019 World Cup qualifying. 

It’s a chance for the Soca Warriors to qualify for their first ever World Cup and they’ve got a real chance — four years ago they finished fourth and lost 1-0 to Ecuador in a two-legged playoff for the final berth to the 2015 World Cup.