Recognized as one of the most prestigious international women’s soccer tournaments in the world, the 2022 SheBelieves Cup returned for its seventh edition with matches played in California and Texas.
Every year the four-team tournament has featured a different lineup of women’s national teams from around the world, and this time around the U.S. women’s national team welcomes Iceland, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand.
The host USWNT had topped the competition in each of the last two editions, last failing to finish first in 2019 when England collected the top spot in a surprise. Only once has the USA failed to secure a top-two spot, finishing last in 2017 when the USWNT fell to both England and France.
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This year, the USWNT has a young roster that Vlatko Andonovski selected to prepare for this summer’s CONCACAF W Championship that will serve as qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. There were a host of exciting young players for USWNT fans to watch as Andonovski will see who is ready to help the side in this summer’s marquee competition.
All told, the United States came out on top of the field, unbeaten and not conceding a single goal as it secured seven points from the three matches to secure the 2022 SheBelieves Cup crown.
What is the SheBelieves Cup?
The SheBelieves Cup is a women’s international soccer tournament hosted by the United States, born in 2016 to compete with other prestigious winter international tournaments such as the Algarve Cup and the Tournoi de France.
The name of the tournament was intended to build on the momentum from the USWNT’s 2015 Women’s World Cup run, in which the United States won its third World Cup title. The victory was met by a strong response from the USWNT fanbase, and the tournament seeks to inspire the next generation of young women in the sport of soccer.
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From the SheBelieves Cup official website:
“Inspired by the U.S. Women’s National Team, SheBelieves is a movement to encourage young women and girls to reach their dreams, athletic or otherwise. The campaign was originally launched in the run-up to the 2015 Women’s World Cup and has evolved into a special bond between U.S. Soccer and its fans, taking a powerful message of empowerment and that of believing in yourself into communities across the nation.
“As one of the most popular women’s teams in the United States, the WNT is the prime example that dreams are attainable if you set your mind to it and go after what you want. Through dedication, teamwork, perseverance and success, the U.S. Women’s National team inspires new generations of young girls and women to be better and strive for better. They inspire them to believe.”
it’s midnight on the West Coast…
it’s time for the three words we haven’t yet spoken in 2022:
IT’S MATCH DAY!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/4D3ntUdZFB
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 17, 2022
2022 SheBelieves Cup teams
This year’s tournament field featured the world’s top-ranked United States squad as well as Iceland (ranked No. 16 by FIFA), New Zealand (No. 22), and the Czech Republic (No. 24).
The field in this year’s tournament is atypically weaker than usual due to prior obligations by many of Europe’s higher-ranked sides. In fact, this year’s tournament is the first in SheBelieves Cup history that does not feature a visiting nation ranked among the FIFA top 10.
The first edition of the tournament in 2016 featured the United States (No. 1), Germany (No. 2), France (No. 3), and England (No. 5). The competition has boasted a powerful lineup of nations in every subsequent year, up until last year when it included Brazil (No. 8), Canada (No. 8), and Argentina (No. 31).
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This time around, however, multiple factors saw many higher-ranked European teams opt for other competitions. The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on international travel, but the growth of other competitive international tournaments is also proving a challenge.
England is simultaneously hosting the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup featuring England (No. 8), Germany (No. 3), Spain (No. 9), and Canada (No. 6). Meanwhile, the Tournoi de France features the 4th-ranked hosts France, as well as Netherlands (No. 5) and Brazil (No. 7).
The Algarve Cup, a well-established tournament hosted by Portugal that is now in its 28th edition, drew Sweden (No. 2) along with Norway (No. 12), Denmark (No. 14) and Italy (No. 15).
SheBelieves Cup 2022 schedule & results
The four-team competition is played as a round-robin tournament, with all teams playing each other once, using a table to rank teams based on points collected across a team’s three matches.
The United States finished atop the table, securing its fifth SheBelieves Cup title with a final-match victory over Iceland to claim the championship.
| Position | Team | Matches | Points | W-D-L | Goal differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 3 | 7 | 2-1-0 | +10 |
| 2 | Iceland | 3 | 6 | 2-0-1 | -3 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 3 | 2 | 0-2-1 | -1 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 0-1-2 | -6 |
Below is the full match schedule for the event along with each game’s highlight package. The first two matchdays of the competition were contested on the west coast, while the final two games take place in Texas.
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The United States drew two of the later kickoffs, with an 11 p.m. ET start time for its opening match against the Czech Republic, and a 9 p.m. start for the final game against Iceland.
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| Thurs, Feb. 17 | Iceland 1, New Zealand 0 | Highlights |
| Thurs, Feb. 17 | USA 0, Czech Republic 0 | Highlights |
| Sun, Feb. 20 | USA 5, New Zealand 0 | Highlights |
| Sun, Feb. 20 | Czech Republic 1, Iceland 2 | Highlights |
| Wed, Feb. 23 | New Zealand 0, Czech Republic 0 | Highlights |
| Wed, Feb. 23 | USA 5, Iceland 0 | Highlights |