SCOUTING REPORT: What to expect from the CanWNT at the 2026 She Believes Cup
The CanWNT are back in action for the first time in 2026, as they look to put a tough end to 2025 behind them.
Heading into a World Cup qualifying year, the pressure will be on for them to take a big step forward, too, especially after finishing 2025 with five straight defeats.
For a team that will have ambitions of making a deep run at the 2027 World Cup, they know that they’ll have a lot of work to do to come even close to achieving that goal, as they’ve slowly been putting themselves at risk of losing their status as a top 10 team globally.
All of a sudden, their surprise gold medal victory from the 2021 Summer Olympics is starting to feel like a distant memory - this year is the fifth anniversary of that victory, after all. After a disappointing 2023 World Cup and a tumultuous 2024 Olympics, it showed that while Canada were able to climb the summit in 2021, staying there hadn’t proved to be as easy as hoped. 
Now, they’ll look to put that all behind them, however, as they get set for a crucial year, one that starts with three fascinating matches at the She Believes Cup.
Casey Stoney reflects on her tenure so far as CanWNT π¨π¦ manager ποΈ
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 18, 2026
"I'll be honest... it hasn't been the easiest year of my life, so have I been at my best for the team? No, I haven't.
"Now, I'm in a much better space personally to be able to give the team what they need." pic.twitter.com/A5HxrG1jV6
With games against Colombia, Argentina and the United States on tap at this tournament, Canada will want to get back to winning ways, and quickly, as they look to avoid dragging out this frustrating losing streak any further.
On that note, here’s what you need to know about Canada’s She Believes Cup opponents, as well as what to expect from Canada itself in this tournament.
Colombia:
To open this tournament, Canada will take on Colombia in Nashville on Sunday, March 1st, as they look to hit the ground running with a victory against the 20th-ranked side in the world.
This won’t be an easy matchup, something Canada will know well from the last time these two teams met, which came at the 2024 Olympics. There, Canada narrowly won 1-0 in the final group-stage game, helping them qualify for the knockout rounds despite a hefty points deduction.
Despite that loss, Colombia certainly left an impression on Canada in that game and in the tournament at large, as they were narrowly eliminated on penalties in the quarter-finals by the defending World Cup winners, Spain, after a thrilling 2-2 draw in regular time.
Yet, that wasn’t that surprising to see, as that was a reflection of Colombia’s growth as a team in recent years. They showed that at the Olympics, where they reached the knockout stage for the first time in their third appearance at that tournament, and that was a continuation of what they did at the 2023 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their third appearance at that tournament.
Then, continentally, they’ve taken a big step forward there, too, as they’ve reached the final in four of the last five ‘Copa América’s, although they’re still searching for their first-ever victory in that tournament.
Aided by a rapidly developing domestic league and an improved talent pipeline, along with the emergence of a true worldwide star in Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo (who is still just 21), Colombia is still just scratching the surface of what’s possible for them, too.
Because of that, look for this to be another tough matchup for Canada. Just look at some of Colombia’s results in 2025, which included a draw against Japan (who defeated Canada pretty handily twice at the end of 2025), a win over Australia and a win over South Korea. Along with their run to the Copa América final, which they lost on penalties to Brazil after a 4-4 regular time thriller, that helps give an idea of how they performed last year, which was not bad at all.
Otherwise, one thing to watch will be to see how they set up. Colombia is comfortable both holding the ball and sitting back without it, as they’ve got the midfielders like Leicy Santos and Ilana Izquierdo to play in possession, but they’ve also got the transitional weapons like Caicedo and Mayra Ramírez (who is out injured this window) to play on the counter-attack, too.
No matter what, though, they tend to line up in a 4-3-3 or an asymmetrical 4-4-2, which were their two preferred formations last year, adjusting their style of play based on the opponent.
Against a Canadian team still figuring out their tactical identity, that should make for a fascinating matchup, as Colombia will probably try to play a bit more directly, helping them counter a Canadian team that wants to also play a bit more directly under head coach Casey Stoney - even if they themselves also want to be more comfortable on the ball going forward.
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— Selección Colombia (@FCFSeleccionCol) February 20, 2026
Ellas son las π¦ππ¦π¨πͺπ₯π’π΄ por ππ―π¨π¦ππ° ππ’π³π΄πͺπ¨ππͺπ’ para disputar la π²ππΎπ‘πΎπ ππΎππΎπ π’ππ π€π’π€π¨ π€
πΊ @CanalRCN Fútbol RCN, APP Canal RCN - @GolCaracol, DITU HD2… pic.twitter.com/OHFx1iL3Hd
United States:
In the second game of this tournament, Canada will take on the United States in Columbus on Wednesday, March 4th, marking their first meeting since the US dominated Canada in a comfortable 3-0 win on July 2nd last year.
This time, Canada will hope things go a lot better for them, although they know that this matchup against the second-ranked US will not be an easy one - meaning that another heavy defeat is certainly possible.
After a tough start to the decade for the US, which included a rare loss to Canada in the semi-finals of the 2021 Olympics and a 2023 World Cup Round of 16 exit, the US is back on track heading into the World Cup, which is bad news for the rest of the field.
Since the arrival of head coach Emma Hayes in 2024, who immediately pushed this team to a gold medal at that summer’s Olympics, it feels like the US has once again reestablished themselves as a top two team globally after having seemingly slipped off that perch a few years prior.
That they won that gold medal with a run of six straight wins proved that (although two of them were in extra time, against Japan in the quarter-finals and Germany in the semi-finals), so look for the US to bring that same energy into the 2027 World Cup, where they’ll want to avenge a 2023 tournament which was their only World Cup ever where they failed to reach the semi-finals (showing why their Round of 16 exit was seen as so shocking).
Based on how they’re playing now, anything but a top-four finish in 2027 would be a shock, and for good reason, as they’ve got the top-end talent, depth and coaching to compete with anyone in the world.
Before then, however, they’ll want to make some noise at the Concacaf Championships this fall, where they’ll be heavily favoured to win that tournament for a fourth straight edition.
In a sense, though, this Canadian matchup will actually be quite crucial for them in that quest, as another dominant victory over the Canadians, who are probably their biggest threat at the Concacaf Championships, would only further establish their status ahead of that tournament.
Yet, after a 2025 slate of games where the US won 12 and lost three of 15 matches, it must be noted that their status is already not really in doubt, and for good reason.
Plus, what’s most remarkable about this stretch is that it’s come despite it technically being a transition year for the US, who has made a concentrated effort over the last 12 months to integrate far more younger players into their squad ahead of the next World Cup and Olympics cycle. Aided by the long-term absences of the likes of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson in 2025, Hayes was able to integrate several new faces into her team, and you can see the effect of that in their current squad.
A whopping 17 of the players on their She Believes Cup are 25 or younger, with nine of them 21 or under, which is quite impressive. Yet, thanks to some big developments domestically, which have led to more young Americans playing in the NWSL, the US has reaped the benefits of that in the form of a rapidly growing player pool. That players like Rodman, Naomi Girma, Jaedyn Shaw, Lily Yohannes and Alyssa Thompson are some of their players 25 or under shows that.
Then, on the pitch, they’ve also benefited from Hayes’s tutelage, who has ensured that her team is a ball-dominant side that wears down teams in possession, while also pressing teams without the ball. Recognizing the talent that she has at her disposal, this US team is comfortable playing aggressively, something they had sometimes strayed from doing at the beginning of this decade.
Yet, due to their unique mix of players, they are also able to be flexible tactically. If needed, they’ve got the speed up front to play in transition, allowing them to stretch the field and create more space for their talented midfielders to get on the ball.
What this shows, though, is why this is going to be such a good test for Canada. With the US’s style of play and talent, they’ve become a top side in the world again, and this will offer a chance for Stoney to get further proof of concept of how her team can match up against a side of this level.
The first test, which came early in her tenure last year, did not go well, so she’ll be hoping her team can show progress this time around.
Our shebelieves cup, presented by @Visa, roster is officially hereβΌοΈ
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 17, 2026
βΉοΈ https://t.co/zklmkZjf16 pic.twitter.com/5oeqJ9FnpS
Argentina:
To round off this tournament, Canada will take on Argentina in New Jersey on Saturday, March 7th, in what they’ll hope is still a relevant game for them.
For those unfamiliar with the She Believes Cup format, the tournament is contested in a round robin format between these four teams, with the side that earns the most points lifting the trophy, so Canada will hope that they at least remain mathematically alive to do that after playing Colombia and the US (if not in the driving seat).
Should they still be in the race to lift a trophy, though, Argentina will not be an easy final game, even if they’re this tournament’s lowest-ranked team at #30 in the FIFA Rankings.
Canada certainly knows the dangers that they pose, as Argentina famously beat Canada on Canadian soil last year, picking up a 1-0 victory at Starlight Stadium in Victoria in April of 2025, just days after Canada had cruised to a 3-0 victory over that same Argentina side at BC Place in Vancouver.
Therefore, while Argentina will be in tough to replicate a similar result against a Canadian team that will have that defeat on their minds, they’ll feel confident of what they can achieve, especially against the slumping Canadians.
Argentina didn’t have the end to 2025 they hoped, as they finished third at the Copa América for a third straight tournament, but they’ll look to channel that disappointment into what’s ahead for them, as they look to reach the World Cup for a third straight edition, before trying to qualify for their second-ever Olympics.
Considering that they’ve never won a game at either of their four World Cups or one Olympics, they hope to change that before the end of the decade, and understandably so, as that’d mark a big step in their evolution.
Because of that, look for them to continue to push the long-term development of this program. A young team, they’re hoping that a growing domestic league can help them take a big step forward, especially as they push more players towards top leagues in the world.
They’ve started to do more and more of that recently - just this year, 17-year-old forward Annika Paz moved to Inter Milan - and they’ll hope that can help bolster this pool with the top-end talent needed to compete at the highest level (as they’ve certainly got good depth).
Until then, though, look for them to remain the stingy, frustrating unit they’ve been in recent years. They’re not ones to hold a lot of possession, preferring to sit back, but they’re not shy in getting stuck in duels and frustrating opponents physically, either, as Canada learned last year.
Long-term, they’ll want to play a bit more on the ball and in possession, but for now, they’ve remained comfortable in playing direct in a no-nonsense 4-4-2, looking for moments of magic on counter-attacks or on set-pieces.
For this Canadian team, this will offer a different test to Colombia and the US, and that’s not a bad thing. One thing that has stood out from this recent slump is that they’ve sometimes struggled to match the physicality of their opponents, and this Argentina game will certainly push them in that regard, pushing Canada to be more of an aggressor on and off the ball than they have been in recent defeats.
#SelecciónFemenina Lista de convocadas para disputar la #SheBelievesCup en Estados Unidos β½οΈ
— π¦π· Selección Argentina βββ (@Argentina) February 13, 2026
π https://t.co/4g3XYpVvg0 pic.twitter.com/kG973cLCLp
Canada:
Lastly, to stick with Canada, it’ll now be fascinating to see what version of themselves they can bring to the US for this tournament.
Will it be the one that won five of their first six games of 2025, scoring 21 goals? Or the side that lost five straight to end the year, failing to score in each of them?
The reality is that on paper, they’re not as poor as they were to end the year, but they now face a stiff challenge to break out of that slump. To do so, they’ll have to provide a jolt to their squad, both in terms of the players they put out there and how they set them up, as what was most frustrating about their slump is that they didn’t change much across those games despite the poor results and performances.
Yet, that shows the challenge that this Canadian team faces going forward. It feels like they’re caught between generations right now, as they’ve lost some key veterans in recent years, but haven't integrated enough young players to fill that gap, for various reasons.
They’ve slowly started to rectify that, as Canada have brought 10 players 25 or younger to this camp, although they do have 10 players 28 or older - and that’s despite leaving Ashley Lawrence and Adriana Leon at home, as well as the injuries to Cloé Lacasse, Sabrina D’Angelo, Kadeisha Buchanan and Shelina Zadorsky.
The call has been answered! ππ¨π¦
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) February 18, 2026
Here are your 24 #CANWNT players for the SheBelieves Cup!
MORE: https://t.co/ddBzE5t0Jd pic.twitter.com/BcmHbvxVW2
Of course, there are reasons why that stands to change in future years, especially with the creation of the Northern Super League and the development a younger generation of players that is starting to push itself in the NWSL and Europe, but it remains to be seen whether those changes take effect in time for the World Cup.
In the meantime, though, Canada faces a real challenge when it comes to getting the most out of their current group. They know how they need to play under Stoney, who wants her team to be quick and direct on the ball, and aggressive without it, but they’re still looking to find the balance that they need to be effective with that system (and to find the right players to play in that set-up).
For example, while they need to be direct on the ball, they’ve also struggled with the reality that they sometimes need to be patient to create the sort of spaces they want to play the ball into. Especially if they’re going to keep 56% of possession as they did in 2025 - or else teams will sit back and just let Canada play themselves into trouble.
The good news is that their pressing numbers are solid, as they’ve pushed their PPDA (passes per defensive action) down towards the single digits, which is a good starting point, but they’ve been prone to giving up big chances, as seen by the fact that they conceded 1.48 xG per 90 in 2025, despite conceding fewer than 10 shots per game.
By that same token, they averaged a solid 1.91 xG despite averaging 11.69 shots per 90, which aren’t bad offensive numbers, showing that while they’ve been a bit open at the back, they’ve had lively moments up front.
What that all shows, however, is Canada’s challenge tactically. They’re not far off where they need to be at both ends of the pitch, but they still have lots of work to do to refine the finer details of what they need to be successful tactically, and are still figuring out which are their best players to help them to do that.
Part of that, has been due to reasons out of their control - such as the fact that Olivia Smith, who has blossomed into a global star, hasn’t played as much as hoped for Canada due a run of injuries (which might continue this window) - but Canada hasn’t also experimented with their squad as much as hoped, keeping a small pool of starters under Stoney.
Casey Stoney provides an update on CanWNT π¨π¦ star Olivia Smith, who has not arrived at camp for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup ποΈ
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 25, 2026
"Hopefully she'll join – probably not. At the moment, it's leading toward that, but we don't have a definite answer (from Arsenal)." pic.twitter.com/1B2BSgY091
With three games in a short span, though, they should be able to change that in this window, which could open the door for players such as Kaylee Hunter, Annabelle Chukwu, Simi Awujo, Brooklyn Courtnall and others to earn good minutes, helping them potentially join the likes of Smith, Jade Rose, Holly Ward and Emma Regan in helping form Canada’s next generation.
Therefore, while there will be a focus on Canada needing to get results in this tournament - ending their losing streak is a bare minimum, with the hope being that they can get six points with wins against Colombia and Argentina (and maybe even a good result against the US) - there will be just as much focus on them finding a bit more cohesion on the pitch while taking a step towards the future.
