Top performances from Concacaf W Championship

Mia Hamm, Christine Sinclair and Bunny Shaw are among the players boasting the best performances in Concacaf's qualifying tournament for the Women's World Cup.

The stakes are as high as it gets in the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, with four places in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ to be decided in late November and two spots in the Play-Off Tournament also on the line.

Throughout the years, Concacaf’s qualifying tournament for the global finals has produced some breathtaking individual performances, ranging from some of the game’s greats to the most unexpected of heroines.

FIFA take a look back at some of those past standout performances.

1991: Michelle Akers, USA****1991: Michelle Akers, USA

Prior to their triumphant campaign in the first Women’s World Cup, Akers and her USA team-mates had to battle their way past all comers in the inaugural Concacaf W Championship, which took place in Haiti. The final was a sign of things to come, as regional heavyweights USA and Canada tangled in the decider. Akers led the way for USA with a hat-trick in a 5-0 victory, finishing the tournament with 11 goals.

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#OTD in 1991: The #USWNT qualifies for the first-ever @FIFAWWC, defeating Canada 5-0 in the 1991 CONCACAF Championship in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Michelle Akers led the USA with a hat trick.

7:19 PM · Apr 28, 2023

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📆 #OTD in 1991: The #USWNT qualifies for the first-ever @FIFAWWC, defeating Canada 5-0 in the 1991 CONCACAF Championship in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Michelle Akers led the USA with a hat trick.🎩 pic.twitter.com/5FAi1w9d4H — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) April 28, 2023

1994: Mia Hamm, USA****1994: Mia Hamm, USA

Another big star from USA’s early dominant days, Hamm was a force to be reckoned with in the qualifying tournament for the 1995 global finals. She found the back of the net in an opening 9-0 win over Mexico and then followed that up with a quartet of goals in a 11-1 victory against Trinidad and Tobago. Canada were once again the opponent in the final and Hamm etched her name on the scoresheet in that one, giving her a tournament-best six goals alongside Akers.

1998: Silvana Burtini, Canada****1998: Silvana Burtini, Canada

A member of the Canadian women’s national team for 17 years, one would be hard-pressed to find a more prolific performance than Burtini’s in the 1998 edition. In qualifying for USA 1999, Burtini bagged 14 goals on her way to collecting MVP honours as Canada edged Mexico 1-0 in the final in front of the home fans in Toronto.

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2002: Tiffeny Milbrett, USA****2002: Tiffeny Milbrett, USA

There was a moment during the 2002 tournament when the mere thought of Milbrett earning the MVP seemed very far-fetched. In the first round finale for the Stars and Stripes against Panama, Milbrett had to leave the field early in the second half with a knee injury. Incredibly, this came after she scored five goals in the contest. Fortunately, fears of an ACL tear were wiped away when tests showed it was just a twist. Not only did Milbrett recover in time to play again, but she scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win over Canada in the final.

2006: Christine Sinclair, Canada****2006: Christine Sinclair, Canada

It would take an eternity to name all of the achievements of goalscoring great Sinclair, but certainly one of her career highlights came in the 2006 tournament. As Canada were going through a time of transition, a young Sinclair was named team captain and would go on to finish as the co-winner of the Golden Boot with two goals, as her brace helped propel her nation past Jamaica 4-0 in the semi-finals to qualify them for China 2007.

2010: Maribel Dominguez, Mexico****2010: Maribel Dominguez, Mexico

It remains one of the most iconic and memorable matches in Concacaf history. Prior to the 2010 edition, Mexico had not beaten USA in 25 encounters, with 24 defeats and just one draw. But it was a different story in front of the home fans in Cancun in this semi-final showdown, as Maribel Dominguez displayed her exquisite goal-poaching instincts in the third minute, setting the table for a monumental 2-1 upset win, qualifying Mexico for their second World Cup.

2014: Carolina Venegas, Costa Rica****2014: Carolina Venegas, Costa Rica

Qualifying for Canada 2015 paved the way for Costa Rica’s first ticket to the global showpiece, and at the heart of it was Venegas. The striker tallied the lone goal in a crucial 1-0 win over Mexico in the group stage, allowing Las Ticas to finish first in their group and avoid a semi-final against giants USA. Instead, they matched up with Trinidad and Tobago, with the winner qualifying for a first World Cup. Venegas was once again instrumental. She scored the Costa Rica goal as the game finished 1-1 after extra-time, with Las Ticas going on to win the resulting penalty shootout 3-0. Venegas finished the tournament with four goals for the runners-up.

2018: Yenith Bailey, Panama****2018: Yenith Bailey, Panama

Panama goalkeeper Bailey’s performance in the 2018 edition still boggles the mind. She was just 17 when she stepped into goal for Las Canaleras , which is extraordinary in itself. But the fact that she had only become a goalkeeper a year prior defies belief. Adding to the legend were her two clean sheets, including a penalty save from Mexico’s Charlyn Corral. While Panama may have lost 5-0 in the group stage to USA, she still made a slew of awe-inspiring saves, drawing praise from superstar Carli Lloyd. “Very, very impressive,” said Lloyd. “I think I went up to her a couple of times to tell her how well she was doing. She played a fantastic game and I hope that gives her lots of self-confidence.” Panama would fall just shy of reaching France 2019, losing to Jamaica on penalties in the third-place match, but no doubt the 2018 Championship will always be remembered for Bailey’s goalkeeping heroics.

2022: Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, Jamaica****2022: Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, Jamaica

After Jamaica made history in 2018 by becoming the first Caribbean team to qualify for a Women’s World Cup, they returned to the qualifying tournament in 2022 with the target of showing that the first time was no fluke. They were dealt a difficult task to start, opening the tournament against hosts Mexico, but Shaw was unfazed, as she scored the lone goal in a 1-0 takedown of El Tricolor . After a loss to USA in their second affair, they had to defeat Haiti in their group finale to ensure their place in the 2023 finals, and once again Shaw rose to the occasion, scoring a brace in a comprehensive 4-0 victory.