San Diego Wave FC
San Diego Wave FC is an NWSLNWSLThe National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women’s soccer league in the United States with 16 clubs in 2026. It stages a regular season, playoffs and the Challenge Cup, while a collective bargaining agreement governs employment relations between clubs and players.Open the full entry women's professional soccer club in San Diego, California. It began play in 2022, plays at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley, and won the 2023 NWSL Shield and 2024 Challenge Cup.
Contents12 sections
Key facts
June 2021Expansion franchise awarded
On June 8, 2021, the NWSL announced a San Diego expansion club owned by Ron Burkle, with Jill Ellis as president, to begin play in spring 2022.[1]
November 2021Wave name announced
On November 9, 2021, the club announced the name San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, inspired by the city’s coastline and culture. Torero Stadium served as its initial temporary home.[2]
October 2023NWSL Shield won
On October 15, 2023, the Wave beat Racing Louisville 2–0 to claim the NWSL Shield with 37 points. Jaedyn Shaw and Alex Morgan scored.[3]
March 2024Challenge Cup title
On March 15, 2024, the Wave won the Challenge Cup by defeating Gotham FCGotham FCGotham FC is a women's professional soccer club representing the New York–New Jersey region in the NWSL. Formerly Sky Blue FC, it plays at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, and won the NWSL Championship in 2023 and 2025.Open the full entry 1–0 in Harrison, with Alex Morgan scoring an 88th-minute header.[4]
October 2024Ownership changes
The Leichtman-Levine family acquired the club in October 2024.[5]
October 2024Former employees sue club and league
In October 2024, five former employees sued the Wave and NWSL, alleging discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The club had denied the allegations and declined further comment after the lawsuit, citing the proceedings. The court index records an October 7 filing.[6][7]
December 2024Jill Ellis departs
On December 3, 2024, Jill Ellis stepped down as president to become FIFA’s chief of football.[5]
January 2025Jonas Eidevall appointed
In January 2025, the club appointed former Arsenal Women manager Jonas Eidevall as its second permanent head coach.[8]
September 2025Owners sue former president
On September 29, 2025, the club’s owners, through LLFO Sports Holdings, sued former president Jill Ellis, alleging that she misled the buyers about remaining with the club. Ellis’s attorney disputed the suit and said it retaliated against her claim for deferred compensation.[9]
2026Coaching staff
The club’s 2026 sporting staff directory lists Jonas Eidevall as head coach, Becki Tweed and Natalie Henderson as assistants, and Jason Batty as goalkeeper coach.[10]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
San Diego Wave FC: Official website: https://sandiegowavefc.com/ (opens in a new window).[11]
San Diego Wave FC: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrYvZ78qIaVZJY9BVexw8bw/ (opens in a new window).[12]
San Diego Wave FC: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandiegowavefc/ (opens in a new window).[13]
San Diego Wave FC: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandiegowavefc (opens in a new window).[14]
San Diego Wave FC: X: https://twitter.com/sandiegowavefc (opens in a new window).[15]
San Diego Wave FC: LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/san-diego-nwsl/ (opens in a new window).[16]
Sources
- San Diego To Be Home to NWSL Team, Led by Jill Ellis as President (opens in a new window)
- NWSL’s 12th Franchise Named San Diego Wave Fútbol Club (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC Claims NWSL Shield (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC Defeat 1-0 NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2024 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup (opens in a new window)
- Leadership Transition Marks the Start of a New Era for Wave FC Under the Leichtman-Levine Family (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave, NWSL sued by five former employees (opens in a new window)
- Alvarado vs Soccer Womens Team Co LLC — Case 24CU015619C (opens in a new window)
- Welcome to San Diego (opens in a new window)
- Jill Ellis accused in lawsuit of misleading Wave FC owners during team sale (opens in a new window)
- Sporting Staff (opens in a new window)
- Teams — NWSL (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC — YouTube (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC — Instagram (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC — Facebook (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC — X (opens in a new window)
- San Diego Wave FC — LinkedIn (opens in a new window)