The Algarve Cup was an 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 from 1994 to 2022, it was one of the most prestigious and longest-running women's international football events and had been nicknamed the "Mini FIFA Women's World Cup".
The most successful teams were the United States, with ten titles, Norway and Sweden with five, and Germany with four. The United States, Norway, Germany, and Spain 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, had no parallel in the men's game, given that there are fewer professional women's leagues and thus fewer scheduling conflicts. It was played in late February or early March, at the same time as the Arnold Clark Cup, the Cup of Nations, the Cyprus Women's Cup, the Istria Cup, the Pinatar Cup, the SheBelieves Cup, the Tournoi de France, the Turkish Women's Cup and the Women's Revelations Cup.
It has not been held since the introduction of the UEFA Women's Nations League in 2023.
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 was played between the two best group winners. If teams were tied on points, finishing positions were determined by the following tie-breaking criteria in the following order: 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 then became 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 EditionYearFinalThird Place MatchNumber of teamsWinnersScoreRunners-upThird PlaceScoreFourth Place119941–01–06219953–2 3–3 8319964–02–18419971–00–08519984–13–18619992–12–2 8720001–01–08820013–05–18920021–02–1121020032–01–0121120044–13–3121220051–03–2121320060–0 1–0111420072–03–1121520082–12–0121620091–11–0121720103–22–0121820114–22–1121920124–34–0122020132–02–2 122120143–02–1122220152–02–1122320162–11–1 82420171–01–1 12252018 and 2–1122620193–00–0122720203–0 (awarded)2–182021Cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemicCancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic—2820221–12–052023Not held due to Portugal's participation in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification play-offsNot held due to Portugal's participation in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification play-offs—
Notes
Teams reaching the top four TeamTitlesRunners-upThird placeFourth placeTop 410 (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015)4 (1994, 1999, 2006, 2009)2 (1998, 2012)1 (1995)175 (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2019)3 (2000, 2002, 2004)7 (1995, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2020, 2022) –155 (1995, 2001, 2009, 2018, 2022)1 (1996)6 (1994, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010)9 (1998, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019)214 (2006, 2012, 2014, 2020)3 (2005, 2010, 2013)1 (2015)3 (2002, 2008, 2009)112 (1999, 2002)2 (1997, 2003)3 (1996, 2000, 2001)1 (2010)81 (2016)1 (2017)1 (2019)1 (2001)41 (2017) – – –11 (2018) – – –1 –5 (1995, 1998, 2001, 2007, 2008)2 (2009, 2017)4 (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999)11 –2 (2012, 2014)1 (2011) –3 –2 (2020, 2022) –1 (2004)3 –1 (2015)2 (2004, 2005)3 (2003, 2006, 2007)6 –1 (2011)2 (2014, 2016) –3 –1 (2016) – –1 –1 (2019) – –1 – –1 (2018)1 (2022)2 – – –2 (2017, 2018)2 – – –2 (2016, 2020)2 Medals
Share gold in 2018 Algarve Cup.
Participating nations Team 1994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202022Years – – – – – 5th – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4th 4th – – WD 4 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 10th 11th – – – 11th – – – – – – – 3 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5th – – – 6th – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7th2nd – – – – – 2 – – – – – – 5th 4th 8th 7th – – – – – – – – – – – –1st2nd 5th3rd – – 8 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 11th – – – – – – – – – – 1 – –3rd2nd 5th1st3rd3rd1st2nd 6th 7th 6th 10th 9th 5th 4th 7th 9th 6th 5th 12th – 10th 11th 12th – – 23 4th2nd 4th 4th2nd 4th 6th2nd 6th 9th 7th 6th 9th2nd2nd3rd 5th 6th 5th 7th 6th 6th 7th3rd 10th 6th 5th 5th 28 – – – – – – – – 9th – – 8th – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 12th – – – – – – – – – – – 1 6th 5th 8th 6th 8th 8th 7th 7th 7th 6th 9th 10th 7th 6th 8th 7th 8th 10th – – – – – – – – – – 18 – – – – – – – – – 4th3rd3rd 4th 4th – – – – – – –2nd – – – – – – 6 – – – – – – – – 4th – –2nd1st 8th 4th 4th2nd –1st2nd1st3rd – – – –1st – 12 – – – – – – – – – 8th 11th – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 12th 10th – – – – – – – – 2 – – 6th 7th – – – – – – – – – 9th 7th 6th 9th2nd 6th 9th3rd 10th3rd 9th 9th 9th – – 15 – – – – – – – – – 11th – – 10th 11th 12th – – – 11th – – – – – – – – – 5 – 7th – – – – – – – – 4th – – 7th 6th – – – – – – – – – – –2nd2nd 6 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –3rd2nd 5th2nd 9th – 6th 6th – – – 7 – – – – – – – – – – – 9th 8th – – – – – – 8th – – – – – – – – 3 – 6th – 5th 6th – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5th1st 11th – – 6 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4th – – – 4th – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8th – – – – – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – 12th 12th WD – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 21st3rd1st1st1st3rd2nd 5th2nd3rd2nd 5th 5th 5th3rd 9th 6th 5th 7th3rd 10th 5th – 11th 7th1st3rd3rd 27 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 11th 11th – – – – – – – – –2nd – – 3 5th 8th 7th 8th 7th 7th 8th 8th 11th 10th 8th 11th 11th 12th 10th 8th 10th 9th 10th 11th 12th 11th 8th 12th3rd 10th 8th 4th 28 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7th 12th – – – – – – – – – – 2 – – 5th – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 9th – 6th 8th 12th – – – 5 – – – – – – – – 10th – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5th – – 2 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7th – – – 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –1st – 7th – – 23rd1st2nd3rd 4th 6th 4th1st3rd 5th 5th 4th3rd3rd 5th1st3rd 4th 4th 4th 4th 4th – 7th1st 4th 7th1st 27 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8th – – – 8th – – 22nd 4th – –3rd2nd1st 6th 5th1st1st1st2nd1st1st2nd1st1st3rd1st 7th1st – – – – – – 20 – – – – – – – – 12th 12th 10th – – – – 12th – 8th 8th 12th – – – – – – – – 7Total (36 teams) 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 8 12 12 12 8 5
Statistics Teams
RankTeamPartMWDLGFGAGDPoints1207956111217362+111179227103522328185108+78179327103531436175117+58173428107421451146151−514052391351442106109−3119628106261663101208−1079771244292139435+5989815592111277593−1874983117595135+165610728161114536+9491152213273432+2411262413293435−141131871895445165−120331472895143147−16321562293102634−830165194871828−1020173115241815+317183124531514+1171952052131641−25172028512157+8162127511104+616223125162017+3162328422911−21424284132112+9132528431135+8132627403910−112273113261220−8112827313109+110291430164+293028215714−77312713348−46321311145−14331411259−443428107419−153351402225−323614004119−180 Source:
Individuals Year Best Player Top Scorer Goals1994 Ann Kristin Aarones Ann Kristin Aarones 51995 Helle Jensen Helle Jensen 61996 Hege Riise 1997 Marianne Pettersen 1998 Marianne Pettersen 1999 Tiffeny Milbrett Tiffeny Milbrett 42000 Dagny Mellgren Dagny Mellgren 42001 Hanna Ljungberg Hanna Ljungberg 62002 Bai Jie Shannon MacMillan 72003 Liu Ying Hanna Ljungberg 42004 Shannon Boxx Abby Wambach 42005 Birgit Prinz Christie Welsh 52006 Shannon Boxx 2007 Carli Lloyd Carli Lloyd 72008 Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir 62009 Hope Solo Kerstin Garefrekes Jayne Ludlow Lotta Schelin 32010 Inka Grings Inka Grings 72011 Homare Sawa Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir 42012 Aya Miyama Célia Okoyino da Mbabi 62013 Megan Rapinoe Kosovare Asllani Alex Morgan 32014 Dzsenifer Marozsán Dzsenifer Marozsán 42015 Eugénie Le Sommer Sofia Jakobsson 42016 Kadeisha Buchanan Janice Cayman 42017 Irene Paredes Pernille Harder Kumi Yokoyama 42018 Cláudia Neto Lieke Martens Christine Sinclair Fridolina Rolfö 32019 Jennifer Hermoso Mimmi Larsson 32020 Nanna Christiansen Cristiana Girelli Pernille Harder Synne Jensen 22022 Barbara Bonansea Valentina Giacinti Celin Bizet Ildhusøy 2
References
External links
Official website, FPF.pt (only in Portuguese) Algarve Cup on WomensSoccerUnited.com RSSSF.com history page, with links to full results FPF – Algarve Cup match results 1994–2015