2026 National Women's Soccer League season
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 13 – November 1 (regular season) November 6 – November 21 (playoffs) |
| Matches | 60 |
| Goals | 153 (2.55 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Barbra Banda (8 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Ann-Katrin Berger (6 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | 4 goals Angel City 4–0 Chicago (Mar 15) Washington 4–0 Kansas City (Apr 24) |
| Biggest away win | 3 goals Chicago 0–3 Orlando (Mar 25) Seattle 0–3 Utah (Apr 26) |
| Highest scoring | 7 goals Houston 4–3 Louisville (Apr 3) |
| Longest winning run | 5 matches San Diego (Mar 22 – Apr 29) Utah (Mar 28 – present) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 7 matches Washington (Mar 21 – present) |
| Longest winless run | 6 matches Boston (Mar 14 – May 3) |
| Longest losing run | 5 matches Boston (Mar 14 – Apr 29) |
| Highest attendance | 63,004 Denver 0–0 Washington (Mar 28) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,821 Chicago 0–3 Orlando (Mar 26) |
| Total attendance | 651,523 |
| Average attendance | 10,858 |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of May 8, 2026. | |
The 2026 season is the 14th season for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it is the 20th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
The league has 16 teams, with 2 expansion teams Boston Legacy and Denver Summit joining the 14 teams that contested the 2025 NWSL season. All teams are scheduled to play 30 regular-season matches.[1]
The defending NWSL champion is Gotham FC, and the defending NWSL Shield winner is Kansas City Current.
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
[edit]Expansion teams
[edit]Boston Legacy and Denver Summit will play their inaugural season.
Stadiums and locations
[edit]| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Angel City | BMO Stadium | 22,000 |
| Bay FC | PayPal Park | 18,000 |
| Boston Legacy | Gillette Stadium[2] | 20,000[a] |
| Chicago Stars | Martin Stadium[3] | 12,023 |
| Denver Summit | Centennial Stadium[4] in Centennial, Colorado[5] | 12,000 |
| Gotham FC | Sports Illustrated Stadium | 25,000 |
| Houston Dash | Shell Energy Stadium | 22,039 |
| Kansas City Current | CPKC Stadium | 11,500 |
| North Carolina Courage | First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park | 10,000 |
| Orlando Pride | Inter&Co Stadium | 25,500 |
| Portland Thorns | Providence Park | 25,218 |
| Racing Louisville | Lynn Family Stadium | 11,700[b] |
| San Diego Wave | Snapdragon Stadium | 35,000 |
| Seattle Reign | Lumen Field | 10,000[c] |
| Utah Royals | America First Field | 20,213 |
| Washington Spirit | Audi Field | 20,000 |
- ^ Stadium configuration for soccer seats 20,000 but can expand to full capacity of 64,628.
- ^ Seated capacity; full capacity with standing room is 15,304.[6]
- ^ Lumen Field has a capacity of 68,740; standard configuration for Reign games seats 10,000 but can expand based on demand for individual games.[7]
Personnel and sponsorship
[edit]Note: All teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer as part of a league-wide sponsorship agreement renewed in November 2021.[8]
Coaching changes
[edit]| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Legacy | Expansion team | Preseason | June 25, 2025 | [10] | |||
| Denver Summit | August 6, 2025 | [11] | |||||
| Bay FC | Resigned | September 8, 2025 | December 4, 2025 | [12][13] | |||
| Kansas City Current | Promoted to global sporting director | November 14, 2025 | January 7, 2026 | [14][15] | |||
| Chicago Stars | End of interim period | November 23, 2025 | August 13, 2025 | [16] | |||
| North Carolina Courage | End of interim period | November 23, 2025 | January 24, 2026 | [17] | |||
| Portland Thorns | Fired | November 25, 2025 | November 25, 2025 | [18] | |||
| End of interim period | March 4, 2026 | March 4, 2026 | [19] | ||||
Regular season
[edit]Standings
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 | Playoffs and CONCACAF W Champions Cup |
| 2 | San Diego Wave FC | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 18 | |
| 3 | Utah Royals | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 16 | Playoffs |
| 4 | Washington Spirit | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 6 | +8 | 15 | |
| 5 | Gotham FC | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 15 | |
| 6 | Orlando Pride | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 11 | |
| 7 | Seattle Reign FC | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 11 | |
| 8 | Houston Dash | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 10 | |
| 9 | Angel City FC | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 9 | |
| 10 | Denver Summit FC | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 9 | |
| 11 | North Carolina Courage | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 9 | |
| 12 | Bay FC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 9 | |
| 13 | Kansas City Current | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 9 | |
| 14 | Racing Louisville FC | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 15 | −2 | 7 | |
| 15 | Chicago Stars FC | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 6 | |
| 16 | Boston Legacy FC | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 5 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal difference; 3) total wins; 4) total goals scored; 5) head-to-head points; 6) head-to-head goal goals scored; 7) fewest disciplinary points; 8) coin toss (if 2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (if ≥3 clubs tied).
Tiebreakers
[edit]The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams tie in total points total when determining rank, playoff qualification, and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker criteria, going down the list until all teams are ranked.[20]
- Greater goal difference across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Most total wins across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Most goals scored across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Head-to-head results (total points) between the tied teams.
- Head-to-head most goals scored between the tied teams.
- Fewest disciplinary points accumulated across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
- Coin flip (if two teams are tied) or drawing of lots (if three or more teams are tied).
Format
[edit]Results
[edit]Attendance
[edit]Average home attendances
[edit]Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
| Rank | Team | GP | Attendance | High | Low | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Summit FC | 2 | 79,936 | 63,004 | 16,932 | 39,968 |
| 2 | Portland Thorns FC | 3 | 57,861 | 21,321 | 16,734 | 19,287 |
| 3 | Angel City FC | 5 | 79,697 | 17,169 | 13,896 | 15,939 |
| 4 | Washington Spirit | 4 | 58,366 | 19,215 | 9,349 | 14,592 |
| 5 | Boston Legacy FC | 5 | 66,760 | 30,207 | 3,804 | 13,352 |
| 6 | San Diego Wave FC | 4 | 48,824 | 14,078 | 8,428 | 12,206 |
| 7 | Kansas City Current | 2 | 23,000 | 11,500 | 11,500 | 11,500 |
| 8 | Bay FC | 3 | 33,646 | 13,110 | 10,237 | 11,215 |
| 9 | Orlando Pride | 5 | 46,031 | 16,320 | 7,076 | 9,206 |
| 10 | Utah Royals | 3 | 26,579 | 10,012 | 6,789 | 8,859 |
| 11 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | 32,219 | 10,031 | 7,013 | 8,055 |
| 12 | Gotham FC | 6 | 46,490 | 11,308 | 5,000 | 7,748 |
| 13 | Houston Dash | 5 | 35,088 | 10,259 | 5,442 | 7,018 |
| 14 | Racing Louisville FC | 3 | 16,006 | 5,722 | 4,928 | 5,335 |
| 15 | Seattle Reign FC | 4 | 19,065 | 8,211 | 3,023 | 4,766 |
| 16 | Chicago Stars FC | 5 | 17,543 | 4,579 | 1,821 | 3,508 |
| Total | 63 | 687,111 | 63,004 | 1,821 | 10,907 |
Updated through May 9, 2026
Note: Seattle Reign FC's first three home matches were played at One Spokane Stadium while their home stadium of Lumen Field underwent renovations.[21]
Highest attendances
[edit]| Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Summit FC | 0–0 | Washington Spirit | 63,004 | March 28, 2026 | Empower Field at Mile High |
| 2 | Boston Legacy FC | 0–1 | Gotham FC | 30,207 | March 14, 2026 | Gillette Stadium |
| 3 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Seattle Reign FC | 21,321 | March 20, 2026 | Providence Park |
| 4 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | San Diego Wave FC | 19,806 | April 29, 2026 | Providence Park |
| 5 | Washington Spirit | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | 19,215 | March 13, 2026 | Audi Field |
| 6 | Angel City FC | 4–0 | Chicago Stars FC | 16,813 | March 15, 2026 | BMO Stadium |
| 7 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Kansas City Current | 16,734 | March 28, 2026 | Providence Park |
| 8 | Orlando Pride | 1–2 | Seattle Reign FC | 16,120 | March 15, 2026 | Inter&Co Stadium |
| 9 | San Diego Wave FC | 0–1 | Houston Dash | 14,078 | March 14, 2026 | Snapdragon Stadium |
| 10 | Angel City FC | 2–1 | Houston Dash | 13,896 | March 27, 2026 | BMO Stadium |
Updated through May 1, 2026
Statistical leaders
[edit]- As of May 8, 2026.[23]
Clean sheets[edit]
|
|
Playoffs
[edit]Challenge Cup
[edit]Individual awards
[edit]- As of May 6, 2026
Weekly awards
[edit]| Week | Player of the Week | Save of the Week | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Player | Club | ||
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | Racing Louisville FC | [24][25] | ||
| 2 | Angel City FC | Denver Summit FC | [26][27] | ||
| 3 | San Diego Wave FC | Portland Thorns FC | [28][29] | ||
| 4 | Houston Dash | Chicago Stars FC | [30][31] | ||
| 5 | Washington Spirit | Chicago Stars FC | [32][33] | ||
| 6 | Washington Spirit | Bay FC | [34][35] | ||
| Week | Goal of the Week | Assist of the Week | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Player | Club | ||
| 1 | North Carolina Courage | Angel City FC | [36][37] | ||
| 2 | Washington Spirit | Angel City FC | [38][39] | ||
| 3 | San Diego Wave FC | Portland Thorns FC | [40][41] | ||
| 4 | Angel City FC | Portland Thorns FC | [42][43] | ||
| 5 | Portland Thorns FC | Washington Spirit | [44][45] | ||
| 6 | Boston Legacy FC | Portland Thorns FC | [46][47] | ||
Monthly awards
[edit]| Month | Rookie of the Month | Player of the Month | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Player | Club | ||
| March | San Diego Wave FC | Angel City FC | [48][49] | ||
| April | Gotham FC | North Carolina Courage | [50][51] | ||
| Month | Coach of the Month | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | Club | ||
| March | Angel City FC | [52] | |
| April | Washington Spirit | [53] | |
Team of the Month
[edit]| Month | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | [54] | ||||
| April |
|
[55] |
References
[edit]- ^ "NWSL Announces 2026 Schedule Footprint". NWSL. July 2, 2025.
- ^ "NWSL expansion teams to debut in NFL stadiums". ESPN.com. November 3, 2025.
- ^ "In a Transformational Move, Chicago Stars FC Name Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium the Club's Home for the 2026 National Women's Soccer League Season | Chicago Stars FC". September 3, 2025.
- ^ NWSL. "Denver Summit | NWSLsoccer.com". NWSL. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "NWSL: Denver details plans for temporary stadium". ESPN.com. March 27, 2025.
- ^ Gardner, Hayes (October 14, 2021). "'A world-class city': Next month's NWSL Championship game moves to Louisville". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (December 15, 2021). "OL Reign to play 2022 home games in Seattle at Lumen Field". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Carp, Sam (November 22, 2021). "NWSL's Nike extension is league's 'most substantial' sponsorship deal to date". SportsPro. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "Boston Legacy Football Club Announces Inaugural Front-of-Kit Partnership with Iconic Retailer TJ Maxx". Boston Legacy FC.
- ^ "Boston Legacy FC Names Filipa Patão as First Head Coach". Boston Legacy FC.
- ^ "Denver Summit FC Name Nick Cushing Head Coach". Denver Summit FC. August 6, 2025.
- ^ "Bay FC Announces Sporting Organization Changes as Club Enters Next Phase". September 8, 2025.
- ^ "Bay FC Signs Emma Coates to Lead Club into New Era, Welcomes Gemma Davies as Assistant Coach". December 4, 2025.
- ^ "Kansas City Current Announces Vlatko Andonovski as Sporting Director, Ryan Dell as General Manager - Kansas City Current".
- ^ "KC Current Hire Ex-USMNT Star Chris Armas as Head Coach".
- ^ "Chicago Stars FC Name Martin Sjögren as New Head Coach | Chicago Stars FC". August 13, 2025.
- ^ "NC COURAGE INTRODUCE MAK LIND AS THIRD HEAD COACH IN CLUB HISTORY". NC Courage. January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ "Portland Thorns Announce Departure of Head Coach Rob Gale - Portland Thorns". www.thorns.com.
- ^ "Portland Thorns Name Robert Vilahamn as New Head Coach - Portland Thorns". www.thorns.com.
- ^ "2023 Competition Rules & Regulations" (PDF). National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ Allison, John (March 26, 2026). "Seattle Reign open Spokane residency with 3-0 win". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
- ^ "NWSL Schedule". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
- ^ "NWSL Stats". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 17, 2026). "Scored 2 goals to help her club secure an opening weekend dub. ⭐️" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 17, 2026). "Hands. Reflexes. All of it! 😮💨" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 24, 2026). "1 assist, 2 goals, 3 points for her club. 🥇" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 24, 2026). "Who says keepers don't have hops? 🆙" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ Tubbs, Nate (March 31, 2026). "The Lia Godfrey Effect: SD Wave FC's rookie is an answered prayer for the offense". East Village Times. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Messner MAGIC 🪄 Morgan's save in SD wins @nwsl's Save of the Week! 👏". Threads. March 31, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ^ "Houston Dash Midfielder Kiki Van Zanten named NWSL Player of the Week" (Press release). Houston Dynamo FC. April 7, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Chicago Stars FC Defender Kathrin Hendrich Wins National Women's Soccer League Save of the Week" (Press release). Chicago Stars FC. April 7, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Star Leicy Santos Named NWSL Player of the Week" (Press release). Washington Spirit. April 28, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Chicago Stars FC Goalkeeper Katie Atkinson Wins National Women's Soccer League Save of the Week" (Press release). Chicago Stars FC. April 28, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 5, 2026). "She's simply on a hot streak 😮💨" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 5, 2026). "A silky smooth penalty save 🙅♀️" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 17, 2026). "Bagged a brace but this one hit different 💫" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 17, 2026). "Threaded it right where it needed to be 🪡" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 24, 2026). "If you look up "banger goal" in the dictionary, this goal comes up. ☄️" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 24, 2026). "The touch on the pass. The vision. This ball from Kennedy Fuller is nearly impossible to defend. 🫣" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 31, 2026). "Certified Mel B banger 🎯" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (March 31, 2026). "A dime from deep 🚀" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 7, 2026). "From outside the box and off the post" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 7, 2026). "Jayden Perry drops a dime to Reilyn Turner" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ "First goal back and she makes it count 🔥 Sophia Wilson's game-winner is the @canonusa Goal of the Week!". April 29, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (April 28, 2026). "When the moment called, Trinity Rodman answered 📞" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 5, 2026). "When Boston needed her most, she was there to send it home" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 5, 2026). "She had the vision. She had the precise pass. 🎯" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ "San Diego Wave FC midfielder Lia Godfrey named NWSL Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally, for month of March" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Angel City FC forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir named March NWSL Player of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ^ "Gotham FC forward Jordynn Dudley named NWSL Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally, for month of April" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 4, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ "North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez named April NWSL Player of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 4, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ "Angel City FC head coach Alex Straus named March NWSL Coach of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ^ "Washington Spirit head coach Adrián González named April NWSL Coach of the Month" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 4, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ "NWSL Announces March Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. April 3, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ^ "NWSL Announces April Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.