NWSL announces new intraleague competition with Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil

The GIST: After a successful inaugural W Gold Cup, the NWSL and Liga MX Femenil — Mexico’s top pro women’s soccer league — will compete in the first-ever NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup this year. Similar to Europe’s UEFA Women’s Champions League, it further proves the viability of international women’s soccer tourneys in the Western Hemisphere. Another cup, please.

The details: The concept is identical to MLS’ and Liga MX’s Leagues Cup and will feature all 14 NWSL clubs and 2023’s top six Liga MX Femenil teams. The 33-match competition runs from mid-July to late October and is being billed as the “1.0 version” of a standalone summer tournament.

The context: Europe has played host to international women’s soccer club competitions for years, but North America hasn’t due to a lack of leagues — only the U.S. and Mexico currently have pro leagues on the continent…for now. Canada’s Project 8, which would establish an eight-team pro women’s soccer league in the country, expects to launch in 2025.

The pushback: While it’s a fiscal win for both leagues, the Summer Cup is already fielding criticism from women’s soccer fans. It overlaps with the Olympics (where many NWSL and Liga MX players will compete) and proposes a contentious format. There are also growing concerns about how crowded calendars affect player health amid an ACL epidemic that keeps sidelining top players.

• NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman addressed these calendar concerns in a recent interview, noting the league needs to be at the table when tournaments like the W Champions Cup are scheduled. “We cannot thrive or even build a sustainable business…if we don’t have the ability to manage our calendar,” she said.

Zooming out: The Summer Cup marks a turning point for the NWSL, especially since Berman identified the time between 2026 and 2031 as a crucial growth period for pro women’s soccer. It also allows the NWSL to gain exposure from fans in Mexico, something men’s sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and UFC have already been trying to tap into. Get’cha head in the game.