February FIFA Window — All The Deets [UPDATED]

 

Updates in blue bold below, as of February 17.

The first women’s FIFA international window of 2023 opened this week, which means that more than 60 national teams will be in action around the globe over the next several days. Ten teams will be competing in New Zealand for the final three Women’s World Cup berths; all but one of the 29 teams that have already qualified for this summer’s tournament have games in this window.

More than sixty current NWSL players have been called up for February international matches, and several more are part of the U-23 USWNT squad that will be playing friendlies in France. All four-team tournaments are round-robin, with teams earning 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie. Tiebreakers are generally goal differential, goals scored, head-to-head, but check each tournament’s rules for specifics.

Here’s a quick overview of the upcoming tournaments and also several friendlies, including how to watch in the USA, if a broadcast is available. If you have any broadcast info to share, please email keeper@keepernotes.com.

• Teams in bold have qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
• Rankings noted are from the most recent FIFA women’s rankings.
• A list of all USWNT call-ups since 2015 is available here.
• Subscribe to the Keeper Notes WoSo google calendar to find all of these matches (and more) all in one place.

 

SheBelieves Cup

USA, Brazil, Canada, Japan

The 8th edition of the annual tournament kicks off in Orlando Thursday night with #9 Brazil facing #11 Japan at 4 pm ET. That game will air live on HBO Max (English) and NBC Universo/Peacock (Spanish). Then at 7 pm ET, the 5-time SheBelieves Cup champion USA face #6 Canada, airing live on HBO Max and NBC Universo/Peacock. Fans in Canada can watch the match on OneSoccer.

SheBelieves Cup moves to Nashville for the Sunday fixtures, with USA facing Japan at 3:30 pm ET (HBO Max, TNT, NBC Universo/Peacock), followed by Japan versus Canada at 6:30 pm ET (HBO Max, NBC Universo/Peacock + OneSoccer in Canada).

The final pair of matches will be played in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday, February 22. Canada takes on Japan at 4 pm ET (HBO Max, NBC Universo/Peacock + OneSoccer) and then USA plays Brazil at 7 pm ET (HBO Max, TNT, NBC Universo/Peacock).

Notables:
• These games will likely be the most competitive matches the USWNT will play before Vlatko Andonovski finalizes his Women’s World Cup roster in June. The USWNT will play two friendlies in the April FIFA window.
• Megan Rapinoe is the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 7 goals.
• Canada WNT returned to training for the tournament after threatening to strike last week. The reigning Olympic gold medalists have been outspoken about Canada’s recent cuts to the program with less than six months to go before the World Cup.
• Marta could play her first minutes for Brazil in nearly a year, after suffering an ACL injury last March.
• 2023 NWSL draftee Sydney Collins (NC) has been called up by Canada for the first time. The dual national will be a training-only player for Canada.
• Brazil coach Pia Sundhage is one of three nominees for the 2022 FIFA Best Women’s Coach award.

NWSL players involved:
USA Alana Cook, Tierna Davidson (training only), Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Adrianna Franch, Naomi Girma, Ashley Hatch, Lindsey Horan (loan), Sofia Huerta, Taylor Kornieck, Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis, Alex Morgan, Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher, Kelley O’Hara, Midge Purce, Megan Rapinoe, Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett, Andi Sullivan, Mallory Swanson, Lynn Williams
BRA Adriana, Julia Bianchi, Ary Borges, Bruninha, Debinha, Kerolin, Marta
CAN Janine Beckie, Gabby Carle, Allysha Chapman, Sydney Collins (training only), Jordyn Huitema, Victoria Pickett, Quinn, Sophie Schmidt, Kailen Sheridan, Christine Sinclair, Bianca St-Georges
JPN Jun Endo, Hina Sugita

 

FFA Cup of Nations

Australia, Czech Republic,Jamaica, Spain

For the second time, the #12 Matildas are hosting a round-robin tourney during the February window. In 2019 they won the inaugural FFA Cup of Nations, beating Argentina, New Zealand and South Korea.

This time they’ll face two World Cup teams in #44 Jamaica and #7 Spain, plus #28 Czech Republic. All games will be played in and around Sydney. If you’re in Australia, you can watch the games on Australia’s Paramount+. For those outside any of the four participating countries, games can be viewed live on Football Australia’s YouTube page.

Feb 18, 10:50 pm ET: Jamaica vs Czech Republic
Feb 19, 2 am ET: Australia vs Spain
Feb 21, 10:50 pm ET: Czech Republic vs Spain
Feb 22, 2 am ET: Australia vs Jamaica

Notables:
• The Australia roster is loaded with several former NWSL stars, including all-time leading goalscorer Sam Kerr, 2017 champion Ellie Carpenter (Portland) and 2016 champion Alanna Kennedy (Western NY).
• The Reggae Girlz roster features several NCAA players (Rachel Jones UNC, Jody Brown FSU, Peyton McNamara Ohio State) as well as the currently unattached Cheyna Matthews, who became an NWSL free agent in the off-season. Matthews gave birth to her third son last season while rostered with Racing Louisville.

NWSL players involved:
AUS Alex Chidiac, Emily van Egmond
JAM Satara Murray, Havana Solaun, Allyson Swaby (loan)

 

 

Women’s World Cup playoff tournament

Cameroon, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Haiti, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Portugal, Senegal, Thailand

These ten teams are fighting for the three remaining World Cup spots in the 32-team field. This year marks the first time that FIFA has organized a tournament to decide the final spots, instead of using intercontinental playoff pairings. All games will be played in New Zealand. The teams have been split into three groups; each group winner qualifies for this summer’s tournament.

All of these games, including the associated friendlies list below, will stream live at https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/australia-new-zealand2023.

Group A:
Feb 18, 8 pm ET: #58 Cameroon vs #41 Thailand
Feb 22: Cameroon/Thailand winner meets #22 Portugal 

Group B:
Feb 19, 1 am ET: #84 Senegal vs #55 Haiti
Feb 22: Senegal/Haiti winner meets #38 Chile 

Group C:
Feb 19, 8 pm ET: #39 Chinese Taipei vs #50 Paraguay
Feb 20, 1 am ET: #51 Papua New Guinea vs #57 Panama
Feb 22, 8 pm ET: semifinal winners face off

Notables:
• Group A winner will be placed in WWC Group E with USA, Netherlands and Vietnam.
• Group B winner will go into WWC Group B with England, Denmark and China.
• Group C winner will be place in WWC Group F with France, Brazil and Jamaica.

NWSL players involved:
CMR Michaela Abam, Estelle Johnson

Other games held in New Zealand during February window
Several friendlies will also be played on the North Island during the tournament, and all will stream live on the FIFA link above.

Feb 17
New Zealand vs Portugal, 1 am ET
Argentina vs Chile, 1:30 am ET

Feb 20
New Zealand vs Argentina, 1 am ET

Feb 21
Cameroon/Thailand loser vs Senegal/Haiti loser, 1 am ET
Chinese Taipei/Paraguay loser vs Papua New Guinea/Panama loser, 6 pm ET

Feb 22
New Zealand vs Argentina, 1 am ET

NWSL players involved:
ARG Paulina Gramaglia (loan)
NZL Ali Riley

 

Tournoi de France

France, Denmark, Norway, Uruguay

Currently ranked #5, Les Bleues host the Tournoi de France for the third time, playing #18 Denmark, #13 Norway and #67 Uruguay on three match days in southwest France.

The Denmark-Norway fixture at noon ET on Saturday, February 18 will be streamed live on the FFF site.

NWSL players involved:
DEN Rikke Madsen

 

Arnold Clark Cup
England, Belgium, Italy, South Korea

The 2022 EURO champions host the Arnold Clark Cup for the second straight year. All games air live on Paramount+ in the USA (and here’s handy map of where to watch from many other countries). The Lionesses won last year’s event by virtue of a superior goal differential to runner-up Spain.

Currently ranked #4, England starts off against #15 South Korea on Thursday, then face #17 Italy on Sunday, and then wrap up the tournament next Wednesday versus #20 Belgium.

Notables
• Dash’s all-time leading scorer Rachel Daly, now playing with Aston Villa in the Super League, is on England’s roster
• England coach Sarina Wiegman is one of three nominees for the 2022 FIFA Best Women’s Coach award.

NWSL players involved:
ENG Ebony Salmon

 

Revelations Cup

Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nigeria

Mexico hosts three World Cup teams in a new tournament called Revelations Cup. All games of the round-robin event will be played in Léon, Mexico. All matches are available free on Vix.

Feb 15
#37 Costa Rica vs # 27 Colombia, 2 pm ET
#35 Mexico vs. #45 Nigeria, 5 pm ET

Feb 18
Colombia vs Nigeria, 2 pm ET
Mexico vs Costa Rica, 5 pm ET

Feb 21
Nigeria vs. Costa Rica, 2 pm ET
Mexico vs Colombia, 5 pm ET

Notable
• Nigeria head coach Randy Waldrum was coach of the Houston Dash (2014-17) and also Trinidad & Tobago during the Soca Women Warriors’ 2015 WWC qualifying campaign.

NWSL players involved:
CRC Rocky Rodriguez
NGA Michelle Alozie, Ifeoma Onumonu

 

Pinatar Cup

Iceland, Scotland, Philippines, Wales

This 4-team tournament will be played in Spain. Of the participants, only #53 Philippines has qualified for this year’s World Cup — although #16 Iceland and #32 Wales came closer to qualifying than ever before. #25 Scotland missed out on qualifying for 2023 after making their first-ever WWC appearance in 2023.

All tournament games air live on the BBC iPlayer.

NWSL players involved:
ISL Svava Rós Guðmundsdóttir
SCO Claire Emslie
WAL Jess Fishlock

 

Cyprus Cup

Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Romania

One of the older February women’s tournaments, this edition of the Cyprus Cup features no World Cup teams and only one current NWSL player. Finland is the highest ranked team at #31, followed by #40 Romania, #42 Hungary and #60 Croatia.

NWSL players involved:
FIN Elli Pikkujämsä (Portland’s Natalia Kuikka was not named to Finland’s roster)

 

2023 Turkish Cup

#43 Slovenia, #49 Uzbekistan, #54 South Africa, #77 Hong Kong, #81 Zambia, #91 Estonia, #92 Bulgaria, #111 Kosovo, #131 Macedonia

Originally set to feature 12 teams, at this writing the Turkish Cup is down to nine teams, after host Turkey plus Jordan and Venezuela withdrew following the recent earthquake.

All games air live on the event’s Facebook page.

 

Other international friendlies
Here’s the list of all other WWC 2023 teams in action during February, plus other national teams featuring a current NWSL player.

#2 Germany hosts Sweden on February 21 in Duisburg.

#3 Sweden plays China in Marbella, Spain on February 16 before heading to Germany. San Diego’s Sofia Jakobsson is with the team.

#8 Netherlands will face #19 Austria twice in Malta, on February 17 and 21.

#14 China beat Real Betis on Tuesday in an unofficial friendly. On February 16 they play Sweden and then face Ireland on February 22.

#21 Switzerland meets Poland #38 where

#23 Ireland plays one friendly in this window, against China. North Carolina’s Denise O’Sullivan is on the Ireland roster, along with Washington’s Marissa Sheva (her first int’l call-up).

#76 Morocco plays two friendlies in southwest Turkey (far from the location of the recent earthquake) — on February they play #46 Slovakia and then on February they take on #63 Bosnia & Herzegovina.

#88 Malta hosts #118 Luxembourg in two friendlies at home. Malta’s squad features young Orlando midfielder Haley Bugeja. Watch live on Malta’s YouTube channel.