The Courage were last year’s N.W.S.L. runner-up, and they will have the advantage of being in midseason form. But they could be in for stern tests from the Europeans: P.S.G. lost in last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final, and Manchester City has advanced to the semifinals of this year’s competition.

The games are part of an effort by Relevent Sports, which created the I.C.C. in 2013, to expand its soccer business but also to fill the void of top-flight intercontinental women’s competitions, especially those for clubs — an area that even FIFA has identified as ripe for significant growth.

“There’s a big battle going on right now for this territory, for this content,” Stillitano said. “We think the women’s game would benefit from something like this. And we really hope this is something that helps.”

Stillitano said the billionaire Stephen M. Ross, the financial might behind Relevent Sports, made a multiyear commitment to build the Women’s I.C.C. into what has the potential to be — with the right field, and despite being a preseason event for the Europeans — a de facto club world championship for women.

Most top European clubs — including P.S.G. and Manchester City but also teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Barcelona — now field women’s teams capable of challenging more established programs like France’s Olympique Lyon and Germany’s Wolfsburg. Juventus started a women’s professional team last year, and in March, Manchester United announced plans to create its first one.

Many of those clubs are longtime I.C.C. partners.

“We think we can give it the stage it deserves,” Sheiman said of an intercontinental club competition for women. ”And then, coming back in 2019, spend some time and think about: What’s the best format we have? What’s the best way to integrate the women’s league here and tie that in and be sure that they’re treated the right way?”