The 2026 NWSL Schedule is Here!

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today unveiled the schedule and broadcast details for the 2026 NWSL regular season. Highlighted by NWSL Rivalry Weekend and the return of Decision Day, the league’s 14th year of play kicks off this March as the world’s biggest stars in women’s football return to the pitch.

The 2026 season is poised to build on the momentum of recent record-setting campaigns that delivered historic growth across the league, including continued increases in broadcast viewership, match attendance and overall fan engagement nationwide.

As part of the league’s historic four-year domestic media rights agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, ION and Prime Video, 220 matches will be featured on national platforms throughout the season, including 212 regular season contests, all seven playoff matches, and the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup.

2026 NWSL Kickoff Weekend

The 2026 NWSL regular season begins Friday, March 13, with all 16 clubs in action across opening weekend.

Friday night coverage on Prime Video opens with the 2025 NWSL Championship runner up Washington Spirit hosting Portland Thorns FC at Audi Field.

Saturday action includes a nationally televised matchup on ABC featuring NWSL debutante Boston Legacy FC and defending NWSL Champion Gotham FC. Saturday coverage continues with an ION tripleheader showcasing the launch of Denver Summit FC’s inaugural campaign, offseason acquisitions and emerging young talent across the league.

Opening weekend concludes Sunday with a Victory+ doubleheader featuring matches between Orlando Pride and Seattle Reign FC, and Angel City FC and Chicago Stars FC.

Season Format & Broadcast Distribution

Each club will compete in 30 regular season matches, with 15 home and 15 away fixtures.

Throughout the 2026 campaign, matches will be distributed across the league’s broadcast partners as follows:

Prime Video will air Friday night matches throughout the regular season, with weekly kickoffs at 8 p.m. ET or 10 p.m. ET.

ION will present Saturday night doubleheaders, along with select expanded windows, and will continue its weekly studio show covering the NWSL and its players.

CBS Sports platforms will carry a package of regular season matches, including games on the CBS Television Network/Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network.

ESPN will televise matches across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, with all games streaming live on the ESPN App in English and Spanish. The agreement also includes Latin American rights in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Victory+ will feature a weekly Sunday night showcase alongside 32 additional matches throughout the season, all available to stream for free on the platform.

Remaining matches will stream on NWSL+, the league’s free direct-to-consumer platform.

League-wide Competition Pause

No regular season matches will be staged from June 1 to 28. The league will pause play for a CBA-mandated break from June 8-14 and for the remainder of the month while the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The league will return to regular season play on July 3 following the conclusion of the tournament’s group stage.

2026 NWSL Challenge Cup, Presented by e.l.f.

The NWSL Challenge Cup, presented by e.l.f., featuring 2025 NWSL Champion Gotham FC and 2025 NWSL Shield winner Kansas City Current, will now take place on Friday, June 26, at 8 p.m. ET at Scotts Miracle-Gro Field, home of the Columbus Crew, in Columbus, Ohio. The match will bring NWSL action to Columbus for the first time as two of the league’s top clubs compete for the 2026 season’s first trophy, giving fans in the area the opportunity to experience elite women’s soccer in person at this celebratory showcase event.

The match will be available to stream live on Prime Video.

Additional details about the match, including ticket information, will be announced at a later date.

NWSL Rivalry Week, presented by Ally, and Decision Day

NWSL Rivalry Week, presented by Ally, set for matches between July 10-15, will feature marquee contests including:

July 10: Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current

July 11: San Diego Wave FC vs. Angel City FC

July 12: Seattle Reign FC vs. Portland Thorns FC (Cascadia Rivalry)

July 15: Gotham FC vs. Washington Spirit

The regular season concludes with NWSL Decision Day on Sunday, November 1, with all clubs competing simultaneously for playoff positioning. As part of last year’s expanded media agreements, ESPN will become the exclusive home for Decision Day contests in the U.S., with all eight matches available across ESPN platforms.

2026 NWSL Playoffs & Championship, presented by Google Pixel

The opening round of the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, begins November 6-8, with matches distributed across ESPN/ABC, CBS/Paramount+ and Prime Video.

Semifinal matches will take place November 13-15, airing across CBS/Paramount+ and ESPN/ABC.

The 2026 NWSL Championship presented by Google Pixel will be played on Saturday, November 21, airing in primetime on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. The selection process for the Championship host site is underway and additional details will be shared at a later date.

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All times ET.

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