Arsenal lift the first FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and pocket a record prize of almost two million euros | Soccer | Sports

Mariona Caldentey’s Arsenal fulfilled in extremis this Sunday with their favoritism in the final of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup – a new tournament created by the body led by Gianni Infantino similar to the men’s Intercontinental Cup – by defeating Corinthians in extra time (3-2) at the Emirates Stadium. The current European champions won the competition’s first title at home and pocketed a record prize in women’s football of almost two million euros ($2.3 million). The Brazilian club, which surprised Esther González and Juan Carlos Amorós’ Gotham in the semifinals, took home around 845,000 euros (one million dollars).

The tournament, which began in October, brought together the six best clubs from each confederation. The final four It was held in London from January 28 until this Sunday. The gunners They beat the winner of the last Champions League of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Moroccan AS FAR, in the semifinals on Wednesday with a blushing 6-0. Today they beat Corinthians, the Conmebol champion, who put in an extraordinary exercise of resistance and forced an extra time in which a goal from Caitlin Foord gave their rival the victory. Just four days earlier, the Brazilians had eliminated Gotham with a goal from Zanotti in the 83rd minute in another demonstration of extreme competitiveness.

The fall of the Concacaf winner lowered the poster of a final in which all the pools visualized Arsenal against the United States team. The favoritism of the Londoners was evident from the beginning. Alessia Russo, the most differential player along with Mariona, was left in a one-on-one with Lele in the fifth minute after a filtered pass from Emily Fox. The Brazilian goalkeeper saved the chance with a good stretch and a moment later she returned to steal another one-on-one from the striker, but Olivia Smith put the rebound into the net.

Corinthians, who had not yet approached their rival’s field, gave their first scare with a dry shot by Sampaio from the edge of the area that Borbe deflected. In the subsequent corner, the Brazilians tied with a header from Zanotti. The clash turned from 1-1 into an Arsenal monologue. The gunners They controlled the game from Mariona’s direction while the Brazilians positioned themselves with a 4-4-2 around their area waiting to find a counterattack. Lele sustained her group by clearing a Russo header and thwarting another attempt by Bethany Mead.

The team led by Renée Slegers went ahead again in the 58th minute with a header from Wubben-Moy after a cross from Fox. The Brazilians wasted a one-on-one from Jhonson and stayed alive after a shot from Foord that touched a defense crashed into the crossbar. When it seemed that the match was dying, the VAR warned the referee of McCabe’s recklessness in added time. The winger hit Gisela Robledo’s foot while trying to clear a ball in the area. Albuquerque’s penalty goal in the 96th minute extended the plot until overtime, which Foord decided.

The gunners They were crowned tonight as the first intercontinental champions in history in a new tournament that FIFA has created to promote an expanding world, that of women’s football. It is the second title since Slegers took the reins of the bench in October 2024 after the resignation of the Swede Jonas Eidevall. The Dutch technique changed the face of a team that last May won its second Champions League against Barcelona in Lisbon.

Mattias Grafström, general secretary of FIFA, said a few days ago that the distribution of money in the World Cup was going to help the growth of this discipline. “It reflects FIFA’s commitment to making specific and relevant investments that strengthen women’s club football in the long term. Our objective is clear: to continue investing in women’s club football and driving its growth, to ensure that the opportunities, visibility and value are on par with the exceptional performances we see on the pitch,” he added.

After the creation of the Champions Cup, FIFA will launch the Women’s Club World Cup in 2028 with 19 participants, 13 fewer teams than the men’s World Cup, inaugurated in the summer of 2025 in the United States.