The USWNT and the US Women's National Team Players Association have locked in a multi-year licensing renewal with EA SPORTS FC ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup, the pair announced Wednesday.
As US women's soccer draws wider audiences and the sport's global footprint expands, the deal ensures the 2019 World Cup champion will feature prominently in future releases, including the hotly anticipated EA FC 27.
The timing of the announcement is no coincidence.
US Women's Soccer Builds Player Profiles with EA FC 27
With US Soccer riding a wave of momentum thanks to a World Cup cycle on home soil, authentic in-game representation gives fans another way to connect with the USWNT roster year-round. The agreement preserves official kits, badges, and player likenesses across multiple modes.
But the partnership goes beyond in-game play.
EA SPORTS FC and the USWNTPA will collaborate on marketing and storytelling designed to raise player profiles through gaming.
“EA SPORTS has been our longest standing partner, and we’re excited to continue creating opportunities for fans to engage with the US Women’s National Team players through the most preeminent soccer title in the game,” said USWNTPA Director of Strategic Partnerships & Business Annie Mitchell-Reid.
“We look forward to building on this partnership and helping raise this generation of players’ profiles in new ways through the game.”
The announcement follows a similar USMNT renewal in May, reinforcing EA SPORTS FC's push to feature more than 20,000 athletes across 750-plus clubs worldwide.
"As women's soccer continues to grow globally, with incredible momentum across North America, these partnerships allow us to celebrate the world-class players, teams, and stories that define the sport while bringing fans closer to the players and teams they love," said Jeff Sharma, Vice President of Brand at EA SPORTS FC.
While fans wait for both EA FC 27 and the 2027 Women's World Cup, they can build their USWNT roster today in EA SPORTS FC 26.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman left Citi Field on Wednesday night confident she had witnessed a turning point for the 13-year-old women’s soccer league.
Gotham FC’s 1-0 Queens Classic win over the Washington Spirit drew a sold-out crowd of 42,175 fans. It marked New York City’s largest-ever women’s sporting event, as well as the NWSL’s second-largest audience behind 2026 expansion side Denver’s 63,004-strong Empower Field matchup.
For Berman, a packed MLB ballpark on a weeknight in July — during one of the sports calendar’s busiest months — said everything she needed to know about the future of the NWSL and Gotham’s impending move to neighboring Etihad Park.
"My favorite thing about tonight is that it isn’t transactional," Berman told reporters at halftime. "It’s not a one-and-done. This is the beginning of a new relationship for this team in Queens."
Of course, pulling off the match took coordination. The game slotted into the league’s Wednesday night ESPN block but competed with the ESPY Awards. Berman said the league office, ESPN, Gotham, and the NWSLPA worked in concert to make the 8 PM ET kickoff happen.
The turnout, she suggested, was proof the product sells itself.
"If you put it on in a place that is professional and makes people want to come, they will come and have a great time," she said. She went on to note that more than five NWSL games have drawn 40,000+ fans over the past two years.
Queens Classic Serves as Launchpad as Gotham Nears NYC Move
Now in her fourth year at the helm, Berman framed the night as a launchpad. Gotham FC will permanently join MLS team NYCFC in Queens in 2028. And the commissioner asserts that landing in the country’s biggest city only ups the league’s profile.
"When I think about the future state of the NWSL two years from now, we’ll be in our new media rights deal," Berman said. "We will be an 18-team league, the largest we’ve ever been by a significant margin. And to have a team competing in New York City proper, I think puts us on a map in a very different way."
The talent keeps flowing in, too. When asked about blockbuster Gotham signing Sam Kerr’s return and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps’s imminent Denver Summit debut, Berman linked the moves to steadfast investment.
"Anytime an elite player chooses to come and play here, it’s a testament to all of the hard work we’re doing to build the kind of environments that attract and retain top talent," she said.
"[It’s] the literal hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested across this league, across 18 cities, to make sure that we’re the best league in the world."
Jessica Berman Likens NWSL Growth Trajectory to Running a Startup
With that investment comes aggressive growth. The NWSL has gone from eight founding teams in 2013 to 16 this season with two more in the works. That acceleration has raised eyebrows across the industry, as some squads experience attendance drops while others surge. Meanwhile, franchises are bought and sold at rapidly escalating valuations.
But according to Berman’s estimation, it’s right on target.
"I’ve been really fortunate to work at all of the major professional leagues while they’ve been in a growth phase," she reflected.
"That growth has been more iterative — 5% or 10% year over year. Here, it’s really more like the launch of a startup. We’ve created something that people didn’t know could exist just a few years ago. And we’re here for it."
The commissioner also signaled demand for more showcase events. She relayed that while converting a baseball diamond or NFL field into a soccer pitch is a tough task, it’s clearly worth it.
"I was in Denver earlier this year when they had 63,000 people in Empower. And there isn’t a single person that I’ve heard of or met who experienced that who didn’t say ‘I want more of that,’" she said. "We’re excited to continue to bring that life."
Pressed on whether Citi Field could host more Gotham matches before 2028, Berman didn’t hesitate.
"Based on the success of this game tonight, we’d be foolish to not consider it," she said. "It’s clear that there’s an appetite."
ION is stacking its women’s sports slate, as the Scripps-owned network secured media rights to next year’s FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup in Canada and the US.
All 64 of the 32-team tournament’s matches will air across ION’s platforms in both English and Spanish, with the event doubling as a 2028 Olympic qualifier for the top three not-yet-qualified national teams.
“This agreement represents an unprecedented level of US distribution for the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup and a defining moment for the sport,” said 2027 World Cup CEO Craig Thompson.
The acquisition deepens the network’s growing women’s sports bill, after ION signed media deals with the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL.
The FIVB Women’s World Cup hits the court in August 2027, live on ION.
Spain’s Liga F cashed in this week. The top-flight women’s league approved a €55 million commercial investment deal with former NBA star Pau Gasol’s Gasol16 Ventures alongside Fortified Partners.
The sum weighs in as the largest private investment in women’s club soccer history. The funds will be distributed over the next four seasons in a targeted effort to build up the league’s commercial and operational structure.
Liga F is gaining speed, drawing 7.5 million viewers this past season — up 11.2% year-over-year. The league additionally closed out the fiscal year with €25.8 million in revenue.
“This is not an emotional investment in women’s sport,” Gasol said in this week's press release.
“It’s an investment decision driven by data, market trends, and the conviction that women’s football represents a tremendous growth opportunity.”
Women’s baseball is leveling up, as authentication site The Realest partnered with the WPBL to launch the first officially licensed card and memorabilia program for an active US pro women’s baseball league.
The cards will capture historic photos, action shots, and team gear, while game-used items like baseballs, jerseys, and more hit the auction block.
The Realest is also co-designing the WPBL’s inaugural logo, plus custom Opening Day patches to honor the August 1st debut of the first US pro women’s baseball league since 1954.
The WBPL joins the PWHL, Unrivaled, and the USWNT’s ‘85ers in the online marketplace’s growing women’s sports portfolio.
“Every young girl who plays this game dreams of one day seeing herself on a trading card,” said WPBL Commissioner Justine Siegal.
“Together, we will also be preserving the historical stories and memorabilia of the WPBL while inspiring the next generation of female athletes to chase their dreams.”
The PWHL is opening its books, welcoming first-ever outside PWHL investors Kilmer Sports Ventures and Ilitch Companies via a reported $100 million buy-in.
It marks Toronto-based Kilmer Sports’s second women’s sports stake, after Larry Tanenbaum’s multi-team operation backed the WNBA’s Tempo ahead of its 2026 debut.
Chris Ilitch’s Ilitch Companies — parent to Detroit’s Tigers (MLB) and Red Wings (NHL) — already manages Little Caesar’s Arena, home to Detroit’s incoming PWHL expansion team.
The league is gearing up to enter its fourth season amid record growth, surpassing one million fans and seeing a 28% jump in attendance. Alongside the new PWHL investors, it continues to operate under a single-entity model led by Mark and Kimbra Walter.
“Building world-class women’s sports organizations that inspire the next generation of athletes, fans, and leaders is how you create something that truly lasts,” Tanenbaum said in a league statement.
“We’re proud to deepen that commitment through this significant investment in the PWHL.”
Caitlin Clark’s signature shoe is here, as Nike officially unveiled the Indiana Fever guard’s long-awaited Caitlin 1 this week.
The announcement followed days of social media hints, as Clark changed her Instagram handle to @caitlin1, swapped her profile photo for a blue Nike logo, and posted photos teasing the highly anticipated footwear.
Part of an 18-piece collection, the Racer Blue sneaker is designed to increase efficiency, boost responsiveness, and reduce drag. It also features visual nods to a 3-point shot’s arc.
Clark landed an eight-year, $28 million Nike deal ahead of her rookie season, going on to release her signature logo last year.
The superstar now joins A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu as the only active WNBA players with their own Nike shoes.
“Nike and I really crushed it… Seeing the finished product for the first time will forever be a core memory,” Clark said in a press release. “This is so much more than a shoe — it’s about helping grow the game.”
Where to Buy the Nike Caitlin 1 Caitlin Clark Signature Shue
The Caitlin 1 is set to drop on October 1st via Nike.com.
Three women’s soccer greats are buying in, as retired USWNT stars Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Leslie Osborne joined multi-club ownership group Crux Football’s new Player Investor Collective.
The initiative invites former athletes across all sports to invest in European women’s soccer clubs, building on a portfolio that includes France’s Montpellier HSC Féminines and Sweden’s FC Rosengård.
“We don’t necessarily need more investment in Lyon, Arsenal, or Barcelona,” said founder and CEO Bex Smith. “What we need are better teams throughout the leagues. We need more competitive environments, more stories for broadcasters to tell and more opportunities for players to develop.”
Crux focuses on smaller markets, aiming to promote parity and self-sustainability within teams while appealing to investors who might not have the capital to buy into big-name teams.
“We wanted to make ownership accessible,” she continued. “Not everyone can come in with tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. There should be pathways for athletes to participate in building the future of the sport.”
Kelsey Plum has landed on the Adidas roster, as the apparel giant officially added the LA Sparks guard to its growing women’s basketball lineup this week.
Plum joins WNBA stars Satou Sabally and Aliyah Boston plus President of Women’s Basketball Candace Parker, with brand support expected both on and off the court.
“I’m so excited to be joining the adidas Basketball family,” Plum said in a statement. “There’s no better brand to partner with to authentically express myself on and off the court. Their commitment to basketball is unwavering and I’m looking forward to this new chapter.”
The signing confirmed prior speculations, after Plum started wearing Adidas at this year’s Unrivaled games in defiance of her Under Armour contract.
"Kelsey brings unique value to the adidas Basketball family,” said Parker. “She is a champion, and her interests beyond the court in fashion and culture make her the ideal partner for adidas. We are excited for the future of adidas Basketball with Kelsey on the team.”
With signature products still in the works, Plum will sport the adidas Crazy Energy for the rest of the 2026 WNBA season.
TIME is giving women’s sports its due, as the magazine highlighted top athletes and leaders in this week’s TIME 100 Most Influential People in Sports.
Olympic game-changers, WNBA superstars, soccer greats, coaching icons, and front office giants all made the cut, as multi-team owner Michele Kang, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, and Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai joined athletes like A’ja Wilson, Alex Morgan, and Alysa Liu.
“The inaugural TIME100 Sports list recognizes individuals who are not only excelling in their fields, but also shaping culture, expanding opportunity, and influencing the world far beyond competition,” said TIME CEO Jessica Sibley said in a statement.
TIME took special interest in the Winter Olympics, after the stars of Milan Cortina broke into the public consciousness this past February.
US and Canada hockey rivals Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin headlined the selection, while skiers Lindsey Vonn, Eileen Gu, and Mikaela Shiffrin, and Paralympian Oksana Masters joined Liu in the spotlight.
The WNBA also got the TIME treatment, as Wilson shared the honors with Caitlin Clark, Nneka Ogwumike, and Aces head coach Becky Hammon.