PITTSBURGH – Keera Melenhorst is one of 14 players selected for the inaugural Canada Women’s Futsal National Team as announced Tuesday by Canada Soccer. The team will compete in the first-ever Concacaf W Futsal Championship (April 28 – May 4) with FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup qualification at stake.
“The excitement of having the opportunity to qualify Canada for its very first FIFA Women’s World Cup is truly incredible,” said head coach Alexandre Da Rocha. “It’s a unique chance to measure ourselves against the best in Concacaf and see how far we’ve come. It’s an absolute honour and a privilege to kickstart this journey – we have the players, we have the staff, and we have everything in place to compete with every team at this competition.”
Melenhorst finished her Pitt career with 29 points on (8 goals, 13 assists) over 62 games (47 starts). She helped the Panthers to a 40-17-7 record with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first Elite Eight trip in 2023.
The 2025 Concacaf W Futsal Championship will feature nine participating nations, with all matches hosted at the Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The competition will determine the region’s first-ever women’s futsal champion and award two qualification spots to the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025™.
Canada will compete in Group B at the upcoming tournament alongside the United States, Costa Rica, and the winner of a play-in match between Honduras and Nicaragua. Canada will begin group play against Costa Rica on Tuesday April 29, followed by a match against either Honduras or Nicaragua on Wednesday, April 30, before concluding the group stage against the United States on Thursday, May 1.
The tournament will officially kick off on April 28 with the play-in match between Honduras and Nicaragua to determine the final team in Group B. The group stage will run from April 29 to May 1 in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Knockout Stage. The Knockout Stage will feature single-match semifinals on Saturday May 3, followed by the final on Sunday May 4, where the inaugural Confederation’s Champion will be crowned. The two finalists will also qualify for the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025™.
The FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025™, featuring 16 national teams from across six FIFA confederations, will take place from November 21 to December 7.
