American footballers win the Gold Cup and qualify for the Games in Paris

While the European Women’s Football Championship is in full swing, the final is already behind us at the equivalent in North and Central America. It was won by the United States.

The defending champion and reigning world champion settled 1-0 with Canada’s Olympic champion in Guadalupe, Mexico.

Along with the accompanying Gold Cup, the overall victory also provided the Americans with a ticket to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. For the second ticket on behalf of Concacaf, the association for North and Central America and the Caribbean, Canada must play a playoff match with Jamaica, who beat Costa Rica 1-0 in the match for the bronze.

Under the watchful eye of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Alex Morgan scored the only goal in the final. She passed goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan from the penalty spot after Canadian Allysha Chapman fouled Rose Lavelle. It was Morgan’s 118th goal in a national jersey.

With the title, America avenged their defeat in the semi-finals of the Olympics last year, when Canada struck in the finals via a penalty and won in Tokyo for the first time in twenty years against its neighbor to the south. In the final battle, Sweden was then settled.

Jamaica finished third thanks to an added-time goal from substitute Kalyssa van Zanten. Costa Rica did not return completely empty-handed, however: the top four qualified for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

America has won the tournament, which has been held eight times since the first edition in 1991, four times.