Algarve Cup
| Founded | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Current champions |
 Canada (1st title) |
| Most successful team(s) |
 United States (10 titles) |
| Website | Official website |
 2016 Algarve Cup | |
The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious and longest-running women's international football events.[1]
The most successful teams have been the United States, with ten titles, and Norway, with four. Norway's titles all came in the early years of the tournament, while the USA has won all its titles since 2000, including nine in thirteen years since 2003. Sweden and Germany have both won three times, China has won twice.[2] The USA, Norway and Germany are the only nations to have won both the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Algarve Cup.
The Algarve Cup, as an annual event featuring most of the world's top women's football teams, has no parallel in the men's game, given that there are fewer professional women's leagues and thus fewer scheduling conflicts. It is played the same time as the Cyprus Cup. It is superstition that the team that wins the Algarve Cup never goes on to win the World Cup, but in 2015, the USA proved it to be wrong as they were both the 2015 Algarve Cup Champions and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Champions.
Format
From 2002 to 2014, 12 teams were invited, with the top eight competing for the championship. The teams were divided into three groups of four — A, B and C. Group C was added in 2002 to provide second-tier teams with high-level match experience every year. The teams first played round-robin within their pool. Then the placement round proceeded as follows:
- 11th place: The two bottom teams in Group C played one game.
- 9th place: The Group C runner-up played one game against the lower-ranked of the fourth-place teams from Groups A and B.
- 7th place: The Group C winner played one game against the higher-ranked of the fourth-place teams from Groups A and B.
- 5th place: The third-place teams from Groups A and B played one game.
- 3rd place: The second-place teams from Groups A and B played one game.
- 1st place: The first-place teams from Groups A and B played one game.
In 2015, Group C teams became eligible for the final, which is now played between the two best group winners.[3] If teams are tied on points, finishing positions will be determined by the following tie-breaking criteria in the following order:[4]
- number of points obtained in the matches among the teams in question
- goal difference in all the group matches
- number of goals scored in all the group matches
- fair-play ranking in all the group matches
- FIFA ranking
The placement round is now as follows:
- 11th place match: 3rd best 4th placed team vs. 2nd best 4th placed team
- 9th place match: best 4th placed team vs. 3rd best 3rd placed team
- 7th place match: 2nd best 3rd placed team vs. best 3rd placed team
- 5th place match: 3rd best 2nd placed team vs. 2nd best 2nd placed team
- 3rd place match: 3rd best group winner vs. best 2nd placed team
- Final: Best group winner vs. 2nd best group winner
Results
Rankings
| Team | Winner | Runner up | 3rd place | 4th place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States |
10 (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015) | 4 (1994, 1999, 2006, 2009) | 2 (1998, 2012) | 1 (1995) |
 Norway |
4 (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998) | 3 (2000, 2002, 2004) | 5 (1995, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2013) | – |
 Germany |
3 (2006, 2012, 2014) | 3 (2005, 2010, 2013) | 1 (2015) | 3 (2002, 2008, 2009) |
 Sweden |
3 (1995, 2001, 2009) | 1 (1996) | 6 (1994, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010) | 8 (1998, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) |
 China PR |
2 (1999, 2002) | 2 (1997, 2003) | 3 (1996, 2000, 2001) | 1 (2010) |
| Canada |
1 (2016) | – | – | 1 (2001) |
 Denmark |
– | 5 (1995, 1998, 2001, 2007, 2008) | 1 (2009) | 4 (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999) |
 Japan |
– | 2 (2012, 2014) | 1 (2011) | – |
 France |
– | 1 (2015) | 2 (2004, 2005) | 3 (2003, 2006, 2007) |
 Iceland |
– | 1 (2011) | 2 (2014, 2016) | – |
 Brazil |
– | 1 (2016) | – | – |
 Italy |
– | – | – | 1 (2004) |
 New Zealand |
– | – | – | 1 (2016) |
Participating nations
| Team | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
– | – | – | – | – | 5th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Austria |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10th | 11th | – | – | – | 11th | – | – |
.svg.png){kind=small} Belgium |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5th |
| Brazil |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7th | 2nd |
| Canada |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 5th | 4th | 8th | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1st |
 Chile |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | – | – | – |
| China PR |
– | – | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 6th | 7th | 6th | 10th | 9th | 5th | 4th | 7th | 9th | 6th | 5th | 12th | – |
| Denmark |
4th | 2nd | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 4th | 6th | 2nd | 6th | 9th | 7th | 6th | 9th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 5th | 6th | 5th | 7th | 6th | 6th | 7th |
 England |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | – | – | 8th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Faroe Islands |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Finland |
6th | 5th | 8th | 6th | 8th | 8th | 7th | 7th | 7th | 6th | 9th | 10th | 7th | 6th | 8th | 7th | 8th | 10th | – | – | – | – | – |
| France |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2nd | – |
| Germany |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4th | – | – | 2nd | 1st | 8th | 4th | 4th | 2nd | – | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | – |
 Greece |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | 11th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Hungary |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | 10th | – | – | – |
| Iceland |
– | – | 6th | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | 7th | 6th | 9th | 2nd | 6th | 9th | 3rd | 10th | 3rd |
 Republic of Ireland |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | 10th | 11th | 12th | – | – | – | 11th | – | – | – | – |
| Italy |
– | 7th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4th | – | – | 7th | 6th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Japan |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 2nd | 9th | – |
 Mexico |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | 8th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | – | – | – |
 Netherlands |
– | 6th | – | 5th | 6th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| New Zealand |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4th |
 North Korea |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | – | – |
 Northern Ireland |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | 12th | WD | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Norway |
1st | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 5th | 5th | 3rd | 9th | 6th | 5th | 7th | 3rd | 10th | 5th | – |
 Poland |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11th | 11th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Portugal |
5th | 8th | 7th | 8th | 7th | 7th | 8th | 8th | 11th | 10th | 8th | 11th | 11th | 12th | 10th | 8th | 10th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 11th | 8th |
 Romania |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7th | 12th | – | – | – | – | – |
 Russia |
– | – | 5th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9th | – | 6th |
 Scotland |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sweden |
3rd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 4th | 1st | 3rd | 5th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | – |
 Switzerland |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8th | – |
| United States |
2nd | 4th | – | – | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 6th | 5th | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 7th | 1st | – |
 Wales |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12th | 12th | 10th | – | – | – | – | 12th | – | 8th | 8th | 12th | – | – | – |
Best player
- 2016: Kadeisha Buchanan
- 2015: Eugénie Le Sommer
- 2014: Dzsenifer Marozsan
- 2013: Megan Rapinoe
- 2012: Aya Miyama
- 2011: Homare Sawa
- 2010: Inka Grings
- 2009: Hope Solo
- 2008: Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen
- 2007: Carli Lloyd
- 2006: Shannon Boxx (2x)
- 2005: Birgit Prinz
- 2004: Shannon Boxx
- 2003: Liu Ying
- 2002: Bai Jie
- 2001: Hanna Ljungberg
- 2000: Dagny Mellgren
- 1999: Tiffeny Milbrett
- 1998: Marianne Pettersen (2x)
- 1997: Marianne Pettersen
- 1996: Hege Riise
- 1995: Helle Jensen
- 1994: Ann Kristin Aarones
References
- ↑ "Women's game thriving in the Algarve". FIFA. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- ↑ , kicker.so, 11. February 2013.
- ↑ "DFB-Frauen beim Algarve-Cup gegen Brasilien, China und Schweden". dfb.de. 19 December 2014.
- ↑ Regulations
External links
Media related to Algarve Cup at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Algarve Cup on WomensSoccerUnited.com
- RSSSF.com history page, with links to full results
- Full results and history
- FPF - Algarve Cup match results 1994–2015
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