One of the final tests before the U.S. women’s national team heads off to the Women’s World Cup this summer is the SheBelieves Cup, which begins on Feb. 16.
Yet, it is a set of glorified friendlies, but has grown to become one of the most prestigious annual tournaments in women’s soccer. That’s especially the case this year: with high-ranked opponents Canada, Japan and Brazil, the SheBelieves Cup could offer our best hint at how the Americans will fair in Australia and New Zealand at the World Cup.
So, what exactly is this tournament, where did its unusual name come from and how can you watch the 2023 SheBelieves Cup games? We’ve got answers.
What is the SheBelieves Cup, what is the format and what’s its purpose?
The SheBelieves Cup is an annual four-team tournament hosted by the U.S. Soccer Federation for the USWNT during every February international window.
The format is intentionally designed to mimic a group stage of a World Cup, where teams play three games in three different cities all within the span of roughly one week. Whoever has the most points by the end — three points for wins, one point for draws — is crowned the SheBelieves Cup champion, much the same way a team would win their group at the World Cup.
The tournament also has the added benefit of a similar feeling to the knockout stage in a World Cup, where teams have to fly to a new city and face a new opponent in only a few days’ time. As striker Alex Morgan told reporters from camp on Wednesday, this is the USWNT’s last chance to prepare for the hustle and bustle of the World Cup, which kicks off on July 20.
“This is an incredibly important tournament,” Morgan said, “because it’s the last time we’re going to have a chance to play three games in a short period of time that replicates either a group stage or a knockout stage, where you have consecutive games and you’re having to manage travel and fatigue.”
