SheBelieves Cup 2026: U.S. women’s team comes out on top
The Americans sealed their win with a 1-0 win against Colombia
Canada, the U.S., Argentina, and Colombia took part in this year's SheBelieves Cup. (Canada Soccer)
The SheBelieves Cup kicked off once again this month, bringing together four national women’s soccer teams early in the international calendar year. This year, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, and the U.S. were brought together to test themselves ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted in Brazil this summer.
For Canada, this tournament was another step in the early stages under new head coach, Casey Stoney. The competition provided Canada with a great chance to foster unity and assess up-and-coming talent in competitive games.
At the same time, the structure of the SheBelieves Cup has started to feel somewhat unusual. Because of its invite-only nature, the competitive balance can appear to be tilted in the U.S. women’s national team’s (USWNT) favour — barring the Japan win last year. The Americans have historically dominated, which now raises the question of the tournament’s integrity.
Canada opened the tournament in Nashville with one of their more convincing performances in recent months, with a defeat over Colombia. The 4-1 result felt like a breath of fresh air for a team that is still finding its footing under Stoney.
Defender Vanessa Gilles set the tone for a forceful effort, scoring early into the opening game. Janine Sonis, quickly added a second with a skillfully executed free kick that demonstrated Canada’s increasing self-assurance in set piece scenarios.
Sydney Collins, fresh off a substitution, scored her first goal for Canada on the international scene with a header to make it 3-0. Colombia managed to score a goal of their own with a penalty kick, momentarily reducing the gap and reviving the match, but Canada remained calm and kept controlling the game’s tempo.
The match also marked a milestone for forward Delaney Baie “DB” Pridham, a standout player for Ottawa Rapid in the Northern Super League (NSL), who made her senior debut for the Canadian national team. The strong opening victory placed Canada in a promising early position within the tournament standings.
Canada’s next challenge came against their long-term rivals — the U.S. From the opening whistle, the United States seemed determined to dictate the pace of the game. In the 55th minute, the U.S. capitalized on a corner kick situation. Midfielder Rose Lavelle delivered the ball into a crowded penalty area where it ricocheted loose. Forward Ally Sentnor reacted quickest, striking the ball past Kailen Sheridan to give the Americans a 1-0 win.
Although the Canadians were disappointed by the outcome, there were several encouraging aspects to the performance. The close score also demonstrated how challenging it was for the Americans to generate clean opportunities during open play against Canada.
Canada closed the tournament against Argentina in Harrison, N.J. with a rather nail-biting game. The match finished scoreless in regulation, much to everyone’s disappointment with the number of chances and shots on goal that Canada had.
The game skipped over extra time due to tournament rules and went straight into a penalty shootout that saw Sheridan shine in goal. Canada converted through Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, and Sonis. Argentina managed two successful attempts but unfortunately — or fortunately for the Canadians — Vanina Preininger’s kick went over the crossbar leaving them with a 3-2 loss against Canada.
The overall SheBelieves Cup title, however, belonged to the U.S. The Americans sealed the win with a 1-0 score against Colombia (a team they have a sort of heated rivalry with — AM7 will forever be iconic).
The winning goal came from forward Alyssa Thompson. Although Colombia came close with a shot from soon-to-be Vancouver Rise player Maithé López, Phallon-Tullis Joyce’s presence in goal was undeniable for the U.S. side. The victory also marked another milestone for USWNT legend, Emily Sonnett. She now has eight SheBelieve Cup titles. Prior to the match, the U.S. hosted a retirement celebration for former forward Tobin Heath.
For Stoney and her players, the tournament represented yet another significant milestone in the team’s continuous efforts to foster unity. As new players are added and tactical systems continue to develop, every elite international game provides priceless experience.
