NEW YORK (July 2, 2025) - The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today announced the competition framework for the 2026 season. In its first season as a 16-team league with the addition of incoming expansion sides Boston Legacy FC and Denver NWSL, the 2026 campaign will feature a 248-match schedule, inclusive of an eight-team playoff and the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup, presented by e.l.f.

The NWSL has taken proactive, early action to finalize its 2026 schedule footprint, enabling the league, its member clubs, broadcasters and partners to plan effectively for what promises to be a landmark year in global soccer.

The 2026 season will kick off on Friday, February 20, with the NWSL Challenge Cup, presented by e.l.f. For the third consecutive year, the Cup will open the campaign with a marquee matchup between the reigning NWSL champion and the previous season’s Shield winner. The match will stream live on Prime Video.

The regular season kicks off Friday, March 13. Comprising a balanced 30-match schedule that will be played over 27 weeks, the schedule footprint has been formatted to avoid staging contests during FIFA windows and will include a league-wide pause in play for a CBA-mandated break. Additionally, no official NWSL matches will be staged from June 1 to 28.

The 2026 NWSL season will coincide with the FIFA Men’s World Cup, taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada. With seven of the league’s 16 markets also hosting World Cup matches, the NWSL is proactively adjusting its scheduling framework to accommodate expected stadium demands. The league remains focused on preserving competitive integrity and delivering a successful season while continuing to explore innovative scheduling and operational solutions to navigate the unique challenges of this landmark global event.

The final weekend of the regular season concludes with Decision Day matches the weekend of October 30-November 1 to determine the postseason field.

The opening round of the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, will take place November 6-8 ahead of the semifinal round on November 13-15. The league will conclude its 2026 campaign with the 2026 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, on November 21.

In the third year of the league’s groundbreaking four-year domestic media rights agreements, more than 120 matches will be distributed across nationally available platforms in 2026, including CBS Sports, ESPN, Scripps-owned ION and Prime Video.

The remaining regular season matches will be available on NWSL+, the league’s domestic direct-to-consumer streaming platform.

ESPN/ABC will air two quarterfinal matches, while CBS/Paramount+ and Prime Video will each distribute one of the remaining two quarterfinal contests. The semifinals will air across CBS/Paramount+ and ESPN/ABC, with each partner carrying one contest.

The 2026 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel, will air in primetime for the fifth-consecutive season on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+.

Additional details regarding the 2026 schedule will be shared at a later date.