CONCACAF Women’s Futsal Championship Kicks Off with Historic Debuts and World Cup Dreams

From debut goals to rising stars, the first CONCACAF Women’s Futsal Championship kicks off with high hopes, fast action, and a path to the World Cup.

The first-ever CONCACAF Women’s Futsal Championship kicked off in Guatemala City (Apr 28–May 4, 2025) at the Domo Polideportivo. This pioneering tournament crowns the region’s first women’s futsal champion and awards two berths to the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup (Philippines 2025)​. In a regional first, nine teams (up from an original seven) converged in Guatemala – four in each group and one play-in winner – for a round-robin group stage and knockout semifinals. As Concacaf noted during the draw, the field “grew…from seven to nine to show and develop the skills of this branch of football in the region”​. Host Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba made up Group A; Group B featured the USA, Canada, Costa Rica, and the winner of a Honduras–Nicaragua play-in. The opening play-in (Apr 28) was an extra-time thriller (Honduras over Nicaragua 6-5​), setting the stage for six days of high-scoring futsal action in Guatemala’s capital.

(Main picture: The U.S. Women’s Futsal National Team settle for a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica in its second match of the 2025 Concacaf W Futsal Championship on Wednesday at Domo Polideportivo – source of the image: US Soccer website)

Road to Guatemala: Build-up and Teams

In the weeks before the Premundial, teams announced squads and ramped up preparations. Panama’s coach Amarelis De Mera unveiled 14 players and held open training sessions for media​. Local press celebrated Panama’s historic effort: as one TV station put it, Panama “debutó a lo grande” (debuted in style) with a commanding 6-2 win over Cuba​. Panama’s media quoted De Mera reminding her players “we are here to make history” as the nation’s first women’s futsal team​. She stressed the squad’s unity and talent: “Estas chicas tienen mucho talento,” she said (“These girls have a lot of talent”)​. Panama’s preparations paid off on the court: Maritza Escartín scored the team’s very first international goal, and Ariadna Abadía (2), along with Estefanía Salas and Kenia Rangel (2) lifted Panama to a 6-2 debut win.

North of the border, Canada Soccer announced its first 14-player women’s futsal roster in mid-April. New head coach Alexandre Da Rocha hailed the moment as “truly incredible,” calling it “a unique chance to measure ourselves against the best in Concacaf”. He vowed his side was “ready to compete with every team,” emphasizing the historic honour of kicking off Canada’s women’s futsal journey​. On the U.S. side, coach Diego Burato used a domestic training camp to finalize his squad. In press briefings he underscored the team’s “potential” and optimism: “No one has seen them play yet and we can spring a pleasant surprise,” he said.

Costa Rica, backed by veteran coach Alex Ramos, prepared quietly but effectively. Local media noted La Sele’s flair: captain Tatiana Cascante was described as naturally gifted on the ball​. Guatemala’s team – led by ex-world-cup veteran Rafael González – also trained at the Domo. But as Guatemalan media noted nervously on matchday, the home fans’ hopes were dashed early when Mexico struck after just 14 seconds in the opener​.

Group Stage Action

When play began on April 29, goals came fast and often. Group B saw Canada edge Honduras 6-0 and USA throttle Honduras 7-0 in their opening games​. Sarah Martin of the U.S. was the story of that night, notching a hat trick and becoming the first US player to record a treble in Women’s Futsal​. The Americans led 4-0 at halftime, thanks to Martin’s two goals and strikes by debutants Kierson Korienek and Ashley Henderson​. Burato later subbed in reserve goalkeeper Martha Lord for the second half, as the U.S. coasted to a 7-0 win​.

In Group A action, Panama’s storming start continued. They opened their campaign with a 6-2 win over Cuba (Escartín, Abadía×2, Salas, Rangel×2 on target)​, then edged Guatemala 4-3 on Day 2​. The Panama–Guatemala game was a thriller: Panama led 2-0 early, Guatemala rallied with two goals, but Panama’s Abadía and Gloria Sáenz (goal in 37’) held on for the victory​. Panama thus clinched a semifinal spot alongside undefeated Mexico. Mexico had answered its 7-2 rout of Guatemala​ with a 4-1 win over Cuba​. Scorers Xanic Benítez, Itzel Cruz, Paulina Cruz, and Rosa Aguiar fueled Mexico’s comeback against Cuba​.

Group B was more congested. Costa Rica kicked off with a gritty 3-2 win over Canada (reported by media as “una meritoria victoria” on Apr 29)​. The next day USA drew 2-2 with Costa Rica – U.S. goals by Sarah Martin (2) matched by Costa Rica’s Yerlin Varela and a last-gasp Tatiana Cascante equalizer​. That classic left the U.S. and Costa Rica tied on four points each (USA +7 goal difference, Costa Rica +1) with one group match remaining. Canada sat third (3 pts), and Honduras (0 pts, –13 GD) were out of contention.

Local press from across the region kept fans informed: Guatemalan outlets live-tweeted action in Spanish (e.g., “¡Rubi Gómez pone 3-0!”​) and high scores drew headlines. In Panama, news portals celebrated each goal (Panamá’s official feeds exulted: “¡PRIMER TRIUNFO del futsal femenino!”​). In Costa Rica, La Nación dubbed Cascante’s late goal “milagroso” and wrote that the draw “kept alive” La Sele’s dream of reaching the semis​. In all, the group stage averaged over six goals per game, reflecting an open, attacking style of play.

Voices on the Court

Coaches and players sounded off with pride and ambition. Panama’s Amarelis De Mera was ebullient: “Estas chicas tienen mucho talento,” she told reporters​, promising her team would “step by step” battle to the final​. After the Cuba win, she added “Tenemos jugadoras de un buen nivel… experiencia…,” noting her squad’s mix of skilled veterans​. U.S. coach Burato spoke of optimism: he stressed the team’s “potential” and said the camp solidified their identity​. Canada’s Da Rocha embraced the underdog role: “It’s an absolute honour…to kickstart this journey,” he smiled, saying he was thrilled to see how far his team has come​. On the pitch, veteran scorers like USA’s Martin and Panama’s Rangel (whose double goals in two matches put her atop the charts) were praised by commentators for leading attacking patterns.

Media across CONCACAF gave this new championship healthy coverage. In Spanish-speaking outlets, the event was framed as a breakthrough for women’s futsal. Panama’s TVN headlined “Histórico debut”​; Costa Rica’s La Nación called the USA tie “milagroso” and noted that Costa Rica now stood “muy cerca” of semifinal qualification​. Even mainstream U.S. soccer media ran match reports on the Women’s Futsal team’s 7-0 win over Honduras​. French-language coverage is emerging too: Canada Soccer’s bilingual site debuted its roster (in English and French) and the French article echoed Da Rocha’s excitement about qualifying “le Canada pour sa toute première Coupe du Monde”​.

Concacaf’s Vision and Promotion

CONCACAF itself has been loudly promoting women’s futsal as a growth area. The official communications regularly remind fans that this event is new: the press release stresses it is the inaugural women’s futsal championship​. Concacaf’s website and social channels have spotlighted full match replays on YouTube (Concacaf-W channel) and highlight clips, expanding visibility. For example, the Panama Futsal Federation notes that “Los partidos…podrán verse en vivo en el canal de YouTube de Concacaf”​. The confederation emphasizes that the top two teams will represent CONCACAF at the first Futsal World Cup​, framing the semis as a gateway to the global stage. Though their public statements have been largely informational, they underline futsal’s growing profile: along with this championship, CONCACAF is developing futsal programs across member associations, part of a broader women’s football strategy (the confederation’s 2019 strategic plan envisioned expanding all forms of the women’s game).

Atmosphere and Engagement

Engagement has been strong for this new championship. Guatemala’s fans have filled the Polideportivo for home games, creating a lively atmosphere despite the losses. Local press noted how quickly Guatemala’s hopes were dashed when Mexico scored at 14 seconds against the home team​ , a dramatic moment that showed the intensity in the crowd. Although official attendance numbers are scarce, journalists describe the arena as “lleno de aficionados” for marquee matches. The social media conversation has been robust: official handles (e.g. @ConcacafW) have posted clips of goals (such as Salas’s opener and Guatemala’s Santizo free-kick) which have thousands of views. In short, CONCACAF’s promotional push and active media coverage have ensured the CONCACAF W Futsal Championship is getting noticed across languages and countries.

Stars and Strategy in Opening Matches

Tactically, the first games revealed a few patterns. The favoured teams – Mexico, Panama, USA, Costa Rica  played fast, possession-oriented futsal, capitalizing on individual skill and set pieces. For instance, five of Panama’s six goals came from dead-ball situations (Escartín first touch, Abadía two free-kicks, Salas and Rangel finishing structured plays)​. Mexico’s goals showed their transition speed, with a quick equalizer and three late strikes against Cuba​. In contrast, teams like Guatemala and Honduras struggled on defence, conceding 13 goals each and scoring only four combined, reflecting their relative inexperience at this level.

Standout individuals have emerged already. Sarah Martin of USA leads all scorers with a hat trick in Game 1​. Mexico’s captain Rosa Aguiar terrorized Guatemala with two top-corner strikes​. Kenia Rangel of Panama has two goals (including the winner vs Guatemala) and was named player of the week by regional media​. Costa Rica’s veteran Tatiana Cascante came off the bench to fire a stunning late goal against the USA, showing the depth of her playmaking. Defensively, U.S. goalkeeper Ellie Goodrich has made key saves in two clean sheets, and Panama’s goalie Nadia Ducreaux was noted for a strong first-half shutout (before conceding twice). These players’ performances, backed by their coaches’ plans, give clues to how the semi-finals might shake out.

Looking Ahead

As group play wraps (April 30 – May 1), the semi-final matchups are set: Mexico vs. Panama and USA vs. Costa Rica. Both fixtures are billed as “el clásico” type contests – Mexico and Panama for Group A supremacy​, the USA and Costa Rica for pride and the chance to seize top spot in Group B​. Beyond the scores, this first CONCACAF W Futsal Championship has already underlined the region’s commitment to the women’s game. Coaches and officials speak of “history” and “surprise,” players are relishing the spotlight, and fans are tuning in across languages. With the World Cup on the horizon, CONCACAF seems determined to keep pushing women’s futsal into the mainstream spotlight. The matches ahead – with tickets to the FIFA tournament at stake – will only intensify the drama that began in earnest on April 28.

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Futsal Focus is a supporter of Dáithí Mac Gabhann and his family’s campaign to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We encourage our readers to learn more about Organ Donation: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

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