NWSL

The NWSL was founded on November 21, 2012, with eight clubs.⁠[1]

FC Kansas City and Portland ThornsPortland Thorns FCPortland Thorns FC is an NWSL women's professional soccer club in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2012, it began play in 2013, plays at Providence Park, and has won three NWSL Championships.Open the full entry drew 1–1 in the league’s first match on April 13, 2013. Portland defeated Western New York Flash 2–0 on August 31 to win the inaugural NWSL championship.⁠[1]

The regular season and playoffs were canceled because of COVID-19 in 2020. The league instead held its first Challenge Cup, won by Houston DashHouston DashHouston Dash is an NWSL women's professional soccer club in Houston, Texas. It began play in 2014, hosts matches at Shell Energy Stadium, and won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.Open the full entry, followed by a Fall Series won by Portland Thorns.⁠[1]

The NWSL and its players’ union launched a joint independent investigation in October 2021 into discrimination, harassment, abuse and retaliation within the league and its clubs. The investigators released their report on December 14, 2022. The league acknowledged failures to protect players and outlined reforms covering reporting channels, staff vetting and safety roles.⁠[2]

The league and the NWSL Players Association announced a new collective bargaining agreement extending through 2030. It eliminated the draft and expansion drafts, established full free agency and guaranteed contracts, and required player consent for trades and transfers. The salary cap combines a base amount with a supplement tied to media and sponsorship revenue. The agreement also increased minimum salaries, childcare support and mental-health benefits.⁠[3]

The attorneys general of New York, Illinois and Washington, D.C., announced a settlement with the NWSL. It required a US$5 million player restitution fund, continued staff-vetting, reporting and mental-health protections, and biannual implementation reports for three years. The settlement did not prevent players from pursuing private legal actions.⁠[4]

Boston Legacy and Denver Summit began play in 2026, bringing the league to 16 clubs. Each team plays 30 regular-season matches, split evenly between home and away. The schedule paused regular-season play from June 1–28 and resumed on July 3. Decision Day is scheduled for November 1, followed by the championship match on November 21.⁠[5]

The 2026 base salary cap is US$3.5 million, rising to US$3.7 million with revenue sharing, for a roster of 22–26 players. The High Impact Player rule permits up to a further US$1 million per club for qualifying players. Trades require player consent. Eligible under-18 amateurs may participate in specified training and exhibition activities but cannot play in official NWSL matches.⁠[6]

The league announced off-field treatment and timed-substitution rules taking effect with that year’s Challenge Cup. Qualifying injury stoppages require a one-minute off-field treatment period. Substituted players must leave within ten seconds or the replacement’s entry is delayed. The changes also revised heat-related hydration breaks and extended the fan code of conduct to digital and social platforms.⁠[7]

NWSL: Official website: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[5]

NWSL: X: https://twitter.com/NWSL (opens in a new window).⁠[41]

NWSL: Facebook: https://facebook.com/NWSL/ (opens in a new window).⁠[41]

NWSL: Instagram: https://instagram.com/nwsl/ (opens in a new window).⁠[41]

NWSL: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nwslsoccer (opens in a new window).⁠[41]