NWSL News & Analysis 2026
Shaw and Davidson Guide Gotham to 2-0 Win Over Reign
Jaedyn Reese Shaw and Tierna Davidson scored as Gotham FC beat Seattle Reign 2-0 at Lumen Field, converting two of their three shots on target.
May 16, 2026
Bay FC, Boston Legacy Draw 1-1 in Fiery Match
Dorian Josey Bailey and Amanda Gutierres scored as Bay FC drew 1-1 with Boston Legacy at PayPal Park, despite the visitors playing with ten after a red card.
May 16, 2026
San Diego Wave Edges Washington Spirit 2-1
Kimmi Ascanio scored an 89th-minute winner as San Diego Wave beat Washington Spirit 2-1 in a tight NWSL match at Snapdragon Stadium.
May 16, 2026
Kansas City Current Rout Houston Dash 3-0 at CPKC
Temwa Chawinga scored twice and an own goal sealed a 3-0 win for Kansas City Current over Houston Dash at CPKC Stadium.
May 16, 2026
Boston Legacy 1-1 Orlando Pride: Gambone Equalizes
Aleigh Gambone's 72nd-minute goal secured a 1-1 draw for Boston Legacy against Orlando Pride after Marta's early penalty. Boston had 62% possession.
May 12, 2026
Washington Spirit Edge Seattle Reign 1-0 in Tense Clash
Claudia Martínez Ovando scored in the 84th minute as Washington Spirit beat Seattle Reign 1-0 at Lumen Field. Reign had 53% possession but couldn't convert.
May 10, 2026
Bay FC, Utah Royals Settle for Goalless Stalemate
Bay FC and Utah Royals battled to a 0-0 draw at PayPal Park, with both sides managing just one or two shots on target in a tightly contested NWSL affair.
May 10, 2026
Current Dominate Stars 3-0 Behind Chawinga Hat-trick
Temwa Chawinga scored a stunning hat-trick as Kansas City Current beat Chicago Stars 3-0 at CPKC Stadium. The Current registered nine shots on target in a dominant display.
May 10, 2026
Van Zanten's Late Strike Seals Wave's 2-1 Win Over Angel City
Amelia Donna Van Zanten scored an 81st-minute winner as San Diego Wave beat Angel City 2-1. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues Silva and Emily May Sams also scored in the tight NWSL contest.
May 10, 2026
Summit Dominates Dash 4-1 in Houston Rout
Janine Sonis netted a brace as Denver Summit routed Houston Dash 4-1, firing 7 shots on target at Shell Energy Stadium.
May 10, 2026
Gotham FC 1-1 Boston Legacy: Shaw, Caño Isant Share Spoils
Gotham FC drew 1-1 with Boston Legacy. Jaedyn Reese Shaw and Alba Caño Isant scored. Gotham outshot Legacy 17-6 but couldn't find a winner.
May 9, 2026
Banda's Late Goal Secures Orlando Pride 1-0 Courage Win
Barbra Banda scored in the 87th minute as Orlando Pride beat North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Exploria Stadium in a fiercely contested NWSL match.
May 9, 2026National Women's Soccer League 2026
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top-tier professional women's soccer league in the United States and one of the most competitive women's football leagues in the world. Founded in 2013, the NWSL is the premier women's soccer league in North America, featuring 16 teams across the United States competing in a 30-match regular season from March through November, followed by the NWSL Playoffs and the NWSL Championship final. The NWSL was established as the successor to Women's Professional Soccer (WPS, 2009-2012) and the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA, 2001-2003), making it the third attempt at a sustainable professional women's soccer league in the United States. What sets the NWSL apart from its predecessors is its partnership model with national federations, which initially subsidized player salaries, and its gradual growth into a fully independent, commercially viable league. Today, NWSL teams regularly sell out stadiums, attract global broadcasting deals, and command franchise valuations in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The 2026 NWSL season features 16 teams, including two new expansion clubs: Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC. Denver Summit shattered the NWSL all-time attendance record with 63,004 fans at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28, 2026, demonstrating the explosive growth in popularity of women's professional soccer in America. The NWSL has expanded from eight original teams in 2013 to 16 in 2026, with expansion fees rising from nothing to $110 million (Denver Summit), reflecting the league's surging value. NWSL games are broadcast across a wide range of platforms, including ESPN, ABC, CBS, Amazon Prime Video, Ion Television, and NWSL+, ensuring fans can watch women's soccer USA matches throughout the season. The league's media deals, running through 2027, represent a massive leap in visibility for women's professional football in the United States.
NWSL Teams 2026
The 2026 NWSL season features 16 teams spread across the United States, from coast to coast. The National Women's Soccer League teams represent major markets including New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Orlando, Kansas City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The 16 NWSL soccer teams for 2026 are: Angel City FC (Los Angeles), Bay FC (San Jose), Boston Legacy FC (Foxborough), Chicago Stars FC (Evanston), Denver Summit FC (Denver), Houston Dash (Houston), Kansas City Current (Kansas City), NJ/NY Gotham FC (Harrison, NJ), North Carolina Courage (Cary, NC), Orlando Pride (Orlando), Portland Thorns FC (Portland), Racing Louisville FC (Louisville), San Diego Wave FC (San Diego), Seattle Reign FC (Seattle), Utah Royals FC (Sandy, UT), and Washington Spirit (Washington, D.C.). Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC are expansion teams debuting in 2026. Utah Royals FC returned to the league in 2024 after a three-year hiatus. Chicago Stars FC (formerly the Chicago Red Stars) rebranded in 2025 under new ownership.NWSL Championship History
The NWSL Championship is the league's title match, held annually since the inaugural 2013 season. The NWSL Championship final is a single match that determines the season's champion, with the top eight teams qualifying for the single-elimination NWSL Playoffs. Portland Thorns FC are the most successful club in NWSL Championship history with three titles (2013, 2017, 2022). NJ/NY Gotham FC are the reigning champions, having won in 2023 and 2025. Orlando Pride won their first NWSL Championship in 2024, while Washington Spirit claimed the title in 2021 and North Carolina Courage won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. The NWSL Playoffs typically begin in early November after the regular season concludes. The playoff bracket features quarterfinals, semifinals, and the Championship final. The NWSL Shield is awarded to the team with the best regular-season record — Kansas City Current won the 2025 Shield with a record 21-point margin.NWSL Players and Salaries
The NWSL features some of the best women's soccer players in the world, including members of the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) and top international stars from across the globe. NWSL players compete at the highest level of women's professional soccer, with the league attracting increasing talent from European clubs and global markets. Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), signed in 2024 and running through 2030, the 2026 NWSL salary cap is $3.5 million per team with a minimum player salary of approximately $48,500. The salary cap is scheduled to rise to $5.1 million by 2030. Trinity Rodman of Washington Spirit holds the record for the highest individual contract in NWSL history, signing a deal worth over $2 million per year in January 2026. Catarina Macario signed with San Diego Wave FC from Chelsea for a reported $8 million total, the largest transfer in NWSL history. The NWSL eliminated all player drafts under the 2024 CBA. Since 2025, college players and other newcomers enter the league as free agents, free to sign with any NWSL team — making the league unique among major North American professional sports leagues. Temwa Chawinga of Kansas City Current won back-to-back NWSL MVP awards in 2024 and 2025.How to Watch NWSL
NWSL games are broadcast across multiple platforms in the United States. ESPN and ABC carry 33 regular-season matches plus the NWSL Playoffs. Amazon Prime Video broadcasts Friday night games and select playoff matches. CBS and Paramount+ cover 25 matches, while Ion Television airs Saturday night doubleheaders. Remaining NWSL games stream free on NWSL+. The current broadcast deals run through 2027 and represent the most comprehensive media coverage in women's professional soccer history in the United States. For international viewers, OneSoccer carries NWSL games in Canada starting from the 2026 season.NWSL Stadiums and Attendance
NWSL teams play in a diverse range of venues across the United States, from purpose-built soccer stadiums to major NFL venues. The most significant development in NWSL stadium history is CPKC Stadium in Kansas City — the first stadium in the world purpose-built exclusively for a professional women's sports team, which opened in 2024 at a cost of $117 million. The NWSL all-time attendance record stands at 63,004, set by Denver Summit FC at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28, 2026. Other major NWSL venues include Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (35,000 seats), Providence Park in Portland (25,218), Lumen Field in Seattle (69,000 capacity, configured for NWSL), and Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (20,000). NWSL attendance has grown dramatically year over year, with average attendance increasing each season as the league expands and fan engagement deepens. Portland Thorns FC have historically led the league in average attendance, while expansion teams like Denver Summit and Bay FC have set new benchmarks for single-game crowds.NWSL teams (16)
How to watch NWSL
Primary broadcasters this season — full international coverage and free streaming options on the dedicated How to Watch NWSL guide.
Free options: NWSL+ streams remaining matches not picked up by ESPN, CBS, Amazon, or Ion for free.