USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The National Women’s Soccer League is gearing up for its 15th season.
On Wednesday, the league announced the footprint for the 2027 season. There are some notable changes — including the league’s kickoff being pushed up.
In previous years, the regular season began in mid-March. In 2027, the NWSL regular-season will begin on February 11, in Los Angeles, California. As the league noted in a press release, the February 11 date was chosen strategically to “coincide with Super Bowl weekend and maximize the league’s visibility during one of the biggest moments on the American sports calendar.”
A week before the league’s kickoff, the NWSL Challenge Cup will be held, which will feature the 2026 NWSL Shield winner against the eventual 2026 NWSL Championship winner. The match will be held at a neutral site, which will be decided in the future. As previously decided, “should one club capture both the Championship and NWSL Shield, presented by CarMax, the Challenge Cup will feature a rematch of the previous season’s NWSL Championship.”
Similar to this season, each club will play a 30-match schedule during the regular season, one home and one away against each opponent. The NWSL announced that a “league-wide pause” will occur during the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. In addition, the NWSL and NWSL Players Association agreed to a week off, which will occur on June 7-13.
“The schedule footprint has been formatted to avoid staging contests during FIFA windows, reducing conflicts with international duty and allowing clubs to compete with their full rosters,” the NWSL stated in a press release. “The league remains committed to balancing international competition with the demands of the domestic calendar while maintaining a schedule that supports player health, competitive fairness and the continued growth of the league.”
The final day of the NWSL’s regular-season will be October 31, 2027, which will serve as ‘Decision Day.’ The first round of the NWSL Playoffs will be held on November 5-7, with the semifinals occurring on November 13-14.
Next year’s NWSL Championship — the venue has not been decided yet — will be held on Saturday, November 20.
