The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. Founded in 2013, the NWSL is composed of nine teams throughout the U.S. and Canada and is the longest-running professional women's soccer league in the U.S. since the launch of Women's Professional Soccer in 2009. It is the current incarnation of women's soccer in the U.S., as the National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) currently negotiates labor conditions.The league has nine teams from across the United States and Canada, including some of the most popular clubs in the game. The Chicago Red Stars, Portland Thorns FC, Utah Royals FC, North Carolina Courage, Washington Spirit, Seattle Reign, Sky Blue FC, Houston Dash and OL Reign form the current NWSL lineup. Over a dozen of the world's best women's soccer players have been part of the NWSL, including USWNT stars Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Toby Heath, and Mallory Pugh.The season format for the NWSL is a 26-game regular season, with teams competing for the NWSL Shield, which is the award given to the team that finishes with the most points at the end of the regular season. The top four teams at the end of the regular season advance to the NWSL Playoffs, which is a four-team bracket-style tournament to decide the NWSL champion.In its 8-year history, the NWSL has achieved strong and consistent growth in both viewership and engagement metrics. Since its inception in 2013, the NWSL has seen a steady increase in attendance and viewership for its games both in-person and on various broadcast platforms. In 2020, NWSL set records for total average viewership and a peak audience of more than 1.3 million viewers on one match day.The National Women's Soccer League awards a championship trophy to the winners of the annual playoffs. The NWSL Championship has been won five times by North Carolina Courage, twice by Portland Thorns FC, and once by the Chicago Red Stars in 2019. The Washington Spirit will carry the title into the 2021 season. As the NWSL continues to move ahead, the league looks to expand and form more international partnerships to become one of the top women's soccer leagues in the world.
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Orlando Pride vs Washington Spirit
NWSLOrlando Pride clash with Washington Spirit in an NWSL regular-season soccer match at Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando holds a 3-1-1 edge over the past five meetings following a thrilling 3-2 victory against Washington during their clash in October 2025.
North Carolina Courage vs Kansas City Current
NWSLNorth Carolina Courage battle Kansas City Current in an NWSL soccer match at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kansas City holds a 3-0-2 advantage over the last five meetings following a 2-0 shutout victory against North Carolina in their August 2025 matchup.
Angel City FC vs Utah Royals FC
NWSLAngel City FC battle Utah Royals in a regular-season NWSL soccer match taking place at BMO Stadium. Angel City holds an undefeated 2-2-0 advantage over the past four meetings following a scoreless draw during their previous clash in August 2025.
Chicago Stars FC vs Portland Thorns FC
NWSLChicago Stars FC battle Portland Thorns FC in an NWSL match at Northwestern Medicine Field. Portland holds a 3-1-1 advantage over the last five meetings after playing Chicago to a hard-fought 1-1 draw during their previous clash in September 2025.
Boston Legacy vs Denver Summit
NWSLSixteenth-place Boston Legacy FC (0-0-5) face 11th-place Denver Summit FC (1-3-2) at Gillette Stadium. Boston search for their first regular-season victory to climb from the bottom of the standings against a Denver squad seeking vital road points.
Gotham FC vs Racing Louisville FC
NWSLGotham FC and Racing Louisville compete at Sports Illustrated Stadium for a regular season NWSL matchup. Following their 2025 championship, Gotham are the team to beat, but Louisville's young core is ready to challenge the veterans.
Chicago Stars FC vs Portland Thorns FC
NWSLFrom Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.
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Portland Thorns FC vs San Diego Wave FC
NWSLThe Portland Thorns FC host San Diego Wave FC for a regular-season NWSL match at Providence Park. San Diego currently holds a narrow lead over Portland in the 2026 table. Portland's Olivia Moultrie has recorded 3 goals in 5 matches.