Foord’s extra-time goal gives Arsenal first Women’s Champions Cup
Caitlin Foord scored on a breakaway in extra time and Arsenal won the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup with a 3-2 victory over Brazil’s Corinthians. Corinthians levelled the match at 2-2 in second-half stoppage time when Victoria converted a penalty in the pouring rain at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Olivia Smith and Lotte Wubben-Moy scored in regulation for Arsenal, which earns $2.3 million for winning the intercontinental tournament. Corinthians takes home $1 million as the runner-up.
Arsenal, which qualified for the tournament as winners of the UEFA Champions League, earned a spot in the final with a 6-0 defeat of Morocco’s ASFAR in Wednesday’s semifinals. Smith, who also scored in the semifinal, opened scoring in the 15th minute when Corinthians goalkeeper Leticia punched a shot from Stina Blackstenius into Smith’s path. Six minutes later, Corinthians evened the score with Gabriela Zanotti’s goal that crossed the line before Arsenal goalkeeper Anneke Borbe could get to it.
The 40-year-old Zanotti also scored in Corinthians’ 1-0 semifinal victory over Gotham FC. Lotte Wubben-Moy scored the go-ahead goal in the 58th with a header off a cross by Emily Fox as FIFA President Gianni Infantino looked on. It appeared that Arsenal had the trophy in hand, but video review awarded a penalty to Corinthians after Katie McCabe’s foul in the box in stoppage time, sending the vocal group of Corinthians fans at the match into a frenzy. Foord put Arsenal back in front with the winning goal in the 104th minute.
Arsenal’s Borbe was involved in a collision in front of her goal in the waning moments of the match and had to be stretchered off with an injury. Gotham won the third-place match 4-0 over ASFAR earlier in the day. Khyah Harper, who started after coming in as a substitute in the semifinal, opened scoring with a goal in the 27th minute. Gotham doubled the lead with a goal from Savannah McCaskill and Jaedyn Shaw converted a penalty to make it 3-0 before halftime.
Midge Purce added the final goal in the 48th. Gotham qualified by winning the first CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 1-0 victory over Mexico’s Tigres last May. Corinthians won the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores Femenina to earn a spot and ASFAR won the CAF Champions League. Two continental champions were eliminated in earlier rounds: Auckland United from Oceania and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda representing Asia. The six-team women’s Champions Cup was created as an intercontinental championship for women’s club teams.
It builds on a growing number of regional club competitions, led by the success of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. FIFA also is introducing a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup, which will launch in 2028 and be played every four years. The new Champions Cup will be held every year, except years when the Club World Cup takes place.
