Arsenal women players Katie McCabe, Caitlin Foord, and Laia Codina arrived in Rwanda on Tuesday, July 8, for a four-day visit. The trio is fresh from the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League where the English side was crowned champions of Europe after beating Barcelona 1-0 in the final on May 24. Foord, an Australian defender, and midfielder McCabe are visiting Rwanda for the second time. The last time they traveled to the country was in 2022 where they not only toured various tourist attractions but also held a coaching clinic. The players are now in the country specifically for a tour at Akagera National Park. The visit aligns with the partnership deal between Arsenal and the Rwandan government's tourism initiative, Visit Rwanda, which was last extended in 2021. According to Rwanda Development Board (RDB) communications, the three stars chose Rwanda for their vacation. Who are the Arsenal trio? McCabe had a highly impactful 2024-25 season with Arsenal. A standout highlight was her pivotal role in Arsenal's UEFA Women's Champions League victory, where she played all 90 minutes in the final. She also set a new record for the most minutes played in a single UEFA Women's Club season (1,296 minutes), starting every one of Arsenal's 15 matches in the competition. Foord also played a vital role in their UEFA Women's Champions League glory. As a key attacking player, she contributed significantly with three goals and one assist in the tournament, including the assist for the winning goal in the final against Barcelona. She also scored six goals and delivered two assists in the Women's Super League (WSL). Codina, as a defender, provided defensive reliability and depth, contributing to the team's strong backline and impressive passing accuracy (96.5% in the Champions League). She also scored one goal in the UEFA Women's Champions League across 8 appearances and another goal in the FA Women's Cup. Codina was a valuable squad member, featuring in both WSL (7 appearances) and Champions League matches, and was on the bench during the Champions League final.
