NEW YORK (March 20, 2024) – The National Women’s Soccer League and LIGA MX Femenil today announced a historic new partnership connecting two of the world’s top women’s soccer leagues. As part of the groundbreaking collaboration, the two leagues will compete in the first-ever NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup. The tournament will feature all 14 NWSL clubs and the six teams with the most points achieved in LIGA MX Femenil Clausura and Apertura during 2023, including Tigres UANL, Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Rayadas de Monterrey, Pachuca and Tijuana.

 

Kicking off on July 19, the 33-match tournament will consist of 30 group stage contests, followed by a four-team semifinal round slated for the week of August 4. The championship match will take place the weekend of October 25-27.  

 

NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup will feature five groups, including four groups of three NWSL clubs and one LIGA MX Femenil club, and one group with two clubs from each league. Each participating club will compete in a minimum of three matches. 

 

Gotham FC will feature in Group D alongside Chivas de Guadalajara of LIGA MX Femenil, as well as match up against two NWSL opponents – the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars. For Gotham FC, the group stage begins on the road against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, July 20, before the NJ/NY club faces the Washington Spirit on Sunday, July 28. Gotham FC returns home on Aug. 2 for a Friday night thriller against Chivas de Guadalajara. Additional match and ticket information will be announced in the near future. 

 

“Today’s announcement marks a historic milestone for women’s soccer in North America and another significant step in the continued elevation of our global game,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “We’re excited to partner with LIGA MX Femenil to create additional competitive opportunities for our athletes, unlock new rivalries, tap into our collective fanbases and continue our shared mission of raising the value, visibility and global standard of our sport.” 

 

"The alliance we are announcing today is a great achievement for women's football in our region and around the world - two great women's professional football leagues coming together to advance the sport in our area, expand and grow the industry, build a new sporting identity and rivalry, strengthen partnerships beyond the pitch, inspire more people to join the movement, build community and open up new opportunities for players to have new windows of internationalization,” said LIGA MX Femenil Director Mariana Gutierrez. “LIGA MX Femenil is proud and privileged to work together with the NWSL. Let us celebrate that this is a historic moment for women and sport.”

 

The complete group stage schedule can be seen below. Broadcast details, playoff schedule details and competition rules will be announced in the coming weeks.  

 

Group Format 

Group A 

·        Portland Thorns FC 

·        Seattle Reign FC 

·        Utah Royals FC 

·        Tijuana 

Group B 

·        Angel City FC 

·        San Diego Wave FC 

·        Bay FC 

·        Club América 

Group C 

·        Kansas City Current 

·        Houston Dash 

·        Tigres UANL 

·        Pachuca 

Group D 

·        NJ/NY Gotham FC  

·        Washington Spirit 

·        Chicago Red Stars 

·        Chivas de Guadalajara 

Group E 

·        Orlando Pride 

·        North Carolina Courage 

·        Racing Louisville FC 

·        Rayadas de Monterrey 

 

NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup Group Stage Schedule for Gotham FC

DATE	MATCH	STADIUM	TIME (ET)
Saturday, July 20	Chicago Red Stars vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC	SeatGeek Stadium	6 p.m.
Sunday, July 28	NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Washington Spirit	TBD	5 p.m.
Friday, August 2	NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Chivas de Guadalajara	Red Bull Arena	8 p.m.

  

About NWSL 

The National Women’s Soccer League is the premier women’s professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.  

 

About LIGA MX Femenil 

LIGA MX Femenil is the women's professional football league in Mexico that started its history in 2017 and is made up by 18 Clubs with different venues around the country. It plays two tournaments per year: Apertura and Clausura, plus a Champions match at the end of each season. The headquarters of the organization are located in Toluca, State of Mexico, in the facilities of the Mexican Football Federation. 

 

In its almost seven years of history, LIGA MX Femenil has achieved audience and attendance records such as the Apertura 2023 second leg Final between Tigres UANL vs. América, which was the most watched in history with a reach of 3.9 million viewers, or the attendance record set for a Final with 58,156 fans at an América vs. Pachuca match. For more information www.ligafemenil.mx.