The 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup will begin Friday with 15 teams on a journey to claim the inaugural trophy. The first-ever iteration of a flagship senior women's competition for the region will feature eight Concacaf teams and four invited Conmebol nations to the tournament. The Conmebol guests are the top four Copa America Femenina teams, including 2022 title holders Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Paraguay.
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The United States and Canada received direct byes to the Gold Cup after qualifying for the Olympics while other Concacaf squads claimed their spot during road to Gold Cup qualifiers. Six remaining teams -- Dominican Republic, Haiti, Guyana, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico -- will compete in preliminary matches to determine the final three teams.
With 15 squads each eyeing the same prize, which side is best positioned to take the title? Let's take a look at where the national teams landed on our power rankings ahead of the tournament:
2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
1. | United States | The winningest team in Concacaf history (men or women's) and favorites for the Gold Cup. The program currently finds itself navigating a new era with incoming manager Emma Hayes, and interim head coach Twila Kilgore will have an opportunity to add a bit of hardware to her resume. |
2. | Colombia | The CONMEBOL guests will be without Mayra Ramirez but are still top rivals for a deep run at the cup. Carolina Arias, Catalina Usme, Manuela Vanegas, and Linda Caicedo will keep opposing teams on their toes. |
3. | Brazil | The squad will navigate the first-ever W Gold Cup without the iconic Marta. They also have eight members playing in NWSL, who are in preseason and are in Group B with CONMEBOL rivals Colombia. New manager Arthur Elias will have a tough test in front of him. |
4. | Canada | Reigning Olympic gold medalists and likely favorites to advance from their Gold Cup group. Coach Bev Preistman has a new contract and could use the group stage to evaluate different player units, but things could get elevated come knockout rounds. |
5. | Mexico | Missed out on a second consecutive World Cup, the program appointed Pedro Lopez, and the squad went undefeated across all competitions in 2023. Gold medalists during the Pan Am Games and Central American and Caribbean Games, Tri Femenil will face their biggest competition in their new era at the Gold Cup. |
6. | Argentina | They'll have a big challenge against the USWNT but will keep things interesting against Mexico in the group. Aldana Cometti, Nina Nicosia, and Sophie Braun could make things difficult on any day. |
7. | Panama | Their inclusion in Group B makes it the group of death. The program's profile has risen over the last cycle, and they've capped off an eventful 2023 with a debut appearance at the World Cup. Marta Cox and Lineth Cedeño can produce in the final third, and goalkeeper Yenith Bailey can frustrate opposing attacks. |
8. | Paraguay | Fourth-place finishers in the 2022 Copa America Femenina, the squad missed out on the 2023 World Cup and settled for a fifth-place finish at the Pan Am Games. Could be a dark horse in their Gold Cup group. |
9. | Costa Rica | Possibly the streakiest team in the Gold Cup with only four wins in its last 20 games. New manager Benito Rubido may rely on Rocky Rodriguez and Daniella Cruz for experience while Priscila Chinchilla generates attack. |
10. | Haiti | The group finds themselves dealing with injuries to key players ahead of preliminaries and they're without Melchie Dumornay and Amandine Pierre-Louis. Still, there's enough talent on the roster with Batcheba Louis, Dnielle Etienne, and Sherly Jeudy for an extended tournament run. |
11. | Dominican Republic | With 18 dual nationals on the roster, this squad has shaken up the competition on its way to a preliminary match in the tournament. All eyes will be on Jaylen Vallecillo -- the 18-year-old midfielder is the second youngest player on the squad alongside 17-year-old defender Renata Mercedes. |
12. | El Salvador | If they defeat Guatemala in prelims the roster can shake things up in Group C. Undefeated in their last six games, they're another squad with several dual nationals. Victoria Meza and Danielle Fuentes could play important roles. |
13. | Guyana | Perhaps a sleeper pick, another program that's growing with dual nationals, Guayana could provide an upset during the prelim stage. Otesha Charles only needs one chance on goal to change a game. |
14. | Puerto Rico | A team that can sometimes punch above its weight but will have a tough challenge during prelims against Haiti. |
15. | Guatemala | They've been around since the 90s but the program still hasn't elevated its profile. They could probably benefit the most from expanded Concacaf tournament play but will have to get past rivals El Salvador in prelims first. |
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