The NWSL break is nearing its end, and those who were not in Boston had a very busy few weeks. Six players were called up to their respective countries during the April international window.
Here’s how they fared.
Bárbara Olivieri (VEN)
Venezuela played three games in CONMEBOL’s Nations League, which serves as 2027 World Cup qualifiers. The teams that take the top two spots will qualify for Brazil, while the third and fourth-place teams will compete in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
La Vinotinto opened the international window with a 2-1 loss against Colombia. Olivieri started on the right wing and was subbed out after 75 minutes. Venezuela was able to get an early lead in the first half, but Colombia equalized soon after, then scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute.
Venezuela faced Argentina in the next game, suffering the same 2-1 defeat. Olivieri came off the bench in the 61st minute and took her usual spot on the right flank. The 24-year-old scored a goal in the 86th minute, giving her team some momentum. Venezuela amped up the pressure in the following minutes, but it was not enough to beat the Argentines.
Venezuela beat Bolivia 8-0 in a game that got right to the action. Venezuela opened the scoring in the second minute, and Bolivia was down to 10 players by the eighth. Olivieri played the entire game and made her biggest contributions during first half stoppage time. She recorded an assist that led to La Vinotinto’s second goal, then scored her own minutes later. Venezuela found the back of the net five more times in the second half, and Bolivia was left with nine players after receiving another red card in the last minutes of the game.
Venezuela now sits in third place. The final matches will be played in June.
Jorelyn Carabalí (COL)
Colombia was also competing for the top spot in the Nations League. Carabalí took her usual spot as centerback and played the entirety of Colombia’s games against Venezuela, Chile, and Argentina. Despite Venezuela’s early goal, Colombia took control of the game soon after and finished with a 2-1 win.
Colombia took its second victory after beating Chile 2-0. Linda Caicedo gave her team the lead in the first half. Chile presented more of a challenge in the second half, but was not able to find the back of the net. Colombia got its second goal after converting a penalty kick during second-half stoppage time.
Colombia ended its international window with a scoreless tie against Argentina. Both teams presented few goal-scoring opportunities and were unable to break through. Carabalí proved invaluable on the defensive line. She was constantly creating pressure, recovering and clearing balls, and was often the player to get the first touch in set pieces.
Colombia now sits in second place in the Nations League with two games to go.
Nichelle Prince (CAN)
Canada closed out the 2026 FIFA Series, which hosted games between nations that wouldn’t normally play each other. Canada’s group included Brazil, South Korea, and Zambia.
Prince started Canada’s first game against Zambia on the right flank and recorded a brace at the end of the first half; she was later subbed out in the 60th minute. Annabelle Chukwu added her own brace in the second half to secure a 4-0 win.
Canada eked out a 3-1 win against South Korea despite being reduced to 10 players. Minutes after Canada opened the scoring in the first half, Jade Rose received a DOGSO red card. Korea was able to convert the resulting penalty kick and tied the game in the 29th minute. Vanessa Gilles scored a brace in the second half, giving her team the advantage. Prince did not make an appearance.
The Canadians suffered a 1-0 defeat to Brazil in their last game of the international window. Prince subbed in at the 83rd minute and immediately created opportunities for her team. A pass into the box ultimately led to a corner kick for the Canadians, but it was not converted.
The 2-1-0 record placed Canada in second place. Brazil’s unbeaten streak put them in first, and South Korea and Zambia took third and fourth place, respectively.
Chloe Ricketts (USA)
Ricketts participated in the U-20 Women’s National Team training camp in Kansas City. The team also faced Brazil’s U-20 team in preparation for the U-20 Women’s World Cup later this year.
The USA beat Brazil 2-0 in its first game; Ricketts did not make an appearance.
The 18-year-old started on the left flank in the second game and was substituted after 61 minutes. The match resulted in a 1-1 draw, with both teams scoring in the first half.
Aïssata Traoré (MLI)
Traoré represented Mali in a friendly against Morocco. Though the game ended in a 1-1 tie, Traoré was the one to open the scoring and give Mali the lead in the first half. The striker sprinted into the box to meet her teammate’s cross with a powerful header at the end of the first half. Morocco equalized in the 61st minute.
Josefine Hasbo (DEN)
The Danes continued their World Cup qualifying campaign against Sweden and Italy. Hasbo received a late call-up to replace an injured player during Denmark’s camp and was available for both games.
Denmark took a 2-1 victory against Sweden after Janni Thomsen scored the game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Hasbo did not make an appearance.
The match against Italy ended in a scoreless draw, but kept Denmark at the top of its group. Hasbo entered the game in the 91st minute.
The winner of the group will clinch a spot in next year’s World Cup, while the remaining teams will enter a play-off phase. The group winners will be decided after the two remaining matches in June.
Mexico
Though Nicki Hernandez was not called up this time around, presumably due to her injury, her teammates were able to punch their ticket to the 2026 Concacaf W Championship. The championship will take place in November and will include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, USA, Canada, and Mexico. All four quarterfinal winners will qualify for the 2027 World Cup. The two finalists will qualify for the 2028 Olympics; if the USA is a finalist, the winner of the third place match will also qualify.
