2026 SheBelieves Cup Honors the History and Future of Women’s Soccer

Soccer fans will be glad to know that women's soccer is officially back. This past week, the SheBelieves Cup kicked off the international soccer season, with the NWSL and NSL seasons following soon after in North America.

SheBelieves is a U.S. Soccer-led movement, inspired by the 2015 U.S. Women's National Team during its World Cup run. The marketing campaign was designed to emphasize female empowerment, and since then, the movement has only grown, inspiring young girls to pursue their goals and dreams both on and off the field.

Founded in 2016, the four-team tournament is hosted annually by the United States, with three additional nations rotating each year to showcase a variety of international opponents. This year's tournament featured the USA, Argentina, Canada, and Colombia, with past editions including teams such as Japan, Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Iceland, England, Spain, Germany, and France.

Played in a round-robin format, all four teams compete in three matches, with the winner determined by total points. Teams are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw, making each match highly competitive. The United States has won seven of the ten editions, falling short in 2017 to France, 2019 to England, and 2025 to Japan.

Table displaying the SheBelieves Cup all time winners. Courtesy of The Sporting News/yahoo! sports

Over the course of three matchdays, with games held in Tennessee, Ohio, and New Jersey, the four teams faced off to determine who would take home the 2026 SheBelieves Cup trophy.

The tournament opened on March 1st at Geodis Park in Nashville. Canada and Colombia kicked off the day, with the Canadians taking a 4-1 victory behind goals from Vanessa Gilles, Janine Sonis, Sydney Collins, and Nichelle Prince. In the 81st minute, Leicy Santos converted a penalty kick to score Colombia's lone goal. While Canada dominated the scoresheet, the match itself was tense, featuring seven yellow cards. Two of those were issued to Colombia's Gisela Robledo, resulting in a red card.

In the second match, the USA defeated Argentina 2-0, with goals from captain Lindsey Heaps and Jaedyn Shaw. Heaps also recorded an assist on Shaw's goal, marking her seventh international match with at least one goal and one assist. Additionally, she extended her streak of scoring at least one goal for the U.S. every year since 2015—the longest active streak by any player currently on the team. The veteran midfielder anchored a young lineup, entering the match with 170 caps, while the remaining ten starters combined for just 99. A "cap" represents the number of appearances a player has made for their national team in international matches.

On March 4th, the tournament moved to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Ohio. The day opened with Colombia defeating Argentina in a 1-0 game, thanks to an excellent play and goal from Linda Caicedo in the 64th minute.

Courtesy of TNTSportsUS/X

However, the marquee matchup came in the evening, as storied rivals the U.S. and Canada faced off. Canada entered the game as the No. 1 seed due to their greater goal differential, meaning the result would likely determine who controlled the tournament heading into the final matchday.

The match also marked the 68th meeting between the two sides, dating back to their first matchup in 1986. The United States has largely dominated the rivalry with 55 wins, four losses, and nine draws. However, Canada has had its moments—most notably in the 2021 Olympic semifinal, when the Canadians defeated the U.S. 1-0 on their way to winning the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal in women's soccer.

Prior to the game, U.S. midfielder and NWSL Bay FC star Claire Hutton said, “I think rivalries are so important in sports...Having Canada as a rival and to play in the SheBelieves tournament setting is super special. It gives it a little bit more power to it, and hopefully the fans are going to bring a bit more energy.”

This set the stage for an excellent game. At halftime the score was tied at 0-0, but the U.S. had dominated play, controlling 68% of possession, with nine shots and five corner kicks. Early in the second half, the Americans were awarded another corner, and Ally Sentnor was able to break the deadlock in the 54th minute, scoring her seventh international goal. The U.S. held on to emerge with a 1-0 victory, putting them in the driver's seat of the tournament standings.

Normally a midfielder for the NWSL's Kansas City Current, Sentnor has taken over the striker role with key players Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson still out of the lineup. After the game, she told reporters, "This team has endless depth, and I am just so grateful to be a part of it...We’ve been working on our pressing, we want to be one of the best teams in the world at turning the ball over in their attacking third so we can create chances from it."

The final day of the tournament opened at Sports Illustrated Stadium with a scoreless draw between Argentina and Canada that advanced to a penalty shootout. The goalkeepers were the true stars of the match, with Canada's Kailen Sheridan battling Argentina's Solana Pereyra. In the end, Canada outlasted Argentina 3-2 on penalties. The result was hardly a surprise, as Sheridan, goalkeeper for the NWSL's North Carolina Courage, is the league's all-time leader in penalty kick saves. Canada finished the tournament with six points, securing second place.

Before the final match could begin, the crowd took part in a special moment honoring Tobin Heath. A celebration of her long and storied career, the New Jersey native has been a longtime face of the program and a prominent figure in the SheBelieves movement.

Heath said, “It’s super special to be back where it all started for me in New Jersey, as well as for many others from the national team. This place means so much to me in terms of putting me on the trajectory to be able to even represent my country. I started wearing the crest at 13-years-old which is well over half of my life, so I feel I have kind of grown up with this team. I just have so much gratitude for so many people."

In 181 appearances for the U.S. Women's National Team, she recorded 36 goals and 42 assists. After announcing her retirement in July of 2025, the two-time World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 1st of this year. The pregame ceremony created a well-deserved opportunity to honor one of the most skillful and creative players in U.S. Women's National Team history.

The moment seemed to inspire the U.S. women as they went on to capture their eighth SheBelieves Cup title. In a tightly contested match, both teams battled throughout before the Americans finally broke through in the 82nd minute with a stunning goal from Alyssa Thompson. After receiving a pass from Lindsey Heaps, Thompson carried the ball up the field before finding Jaedyn Shaw on the wing. Continuing her run, Thompson received the return pass from Shaw at the top of the box and finished the play for her first international game-winning goal.

At just 21 years old, Thompson was named the Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP, leading her team to a strong start to the international season. With the U.S. victory, Emily Sonnett, a defender for Gotham FC, became the winningest player in SheBelieves Cup history with eight titles. She is also the only player to have competed in all 11 editions of the tournament.

The USWNT will continue their international season on April 11th with the first of a three-match series against long-time rival Japan. At the same time, players will compete with their club teams as the National Women's Soccer League season kicks off March 13th, alongside other leagues around the world such as England’s Women's Super League and Canada’s new Northern Super League.

With the 2026 SheBelieves Cup now complete, the tournament once again offered an early glimpse at the players and storylines shaping the next chapter of international women's soccer. As the global calendar continues and club seasons begin around the world, the momentum from this year's competition points to an exciting year ahead for the women's game.

Edited by: Kelly Cassette