The Boston Legacy and Denver Summit entered the NWSL with a bang, as the league's newest teams opened their 2026 campaigns with red cards in twin Saturday losses.
Both Boston defender Bianca St-Georges and Denver full-back Janine Sonis left their clubs shorthanded in their franchise debuts by earning the young NWSL season's first two red cards.
The results reflected the clubs' on-pitch frustrations, as the Legacy fell 1-0 to reigning champion Gotham FC before the Summit lost 2-1 to Bay FC.
It wasn't all disappointment, however, as Boston set a new inaugural home opener attendance record when more than 30,200 fans packed into Gillette Stadium.
"This environment — to the players, to women's football — I think contributes a lot to the game," said Boston head coach Filipa Patão. "We need to continue to do that."
That said, the Legacy's new record is likely to fall later this month, as Denver looks to break the NWSL's overall attendance mark after selling more than 50,000 tickets to the Summit's March 28th home opener at Mile High Stadium.
How to watch the Denver Summit and Boston Legacy next weekend
The newcomers will have another crack at it next weekend, starting when Denver visits the Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on Victory+.
Then on Saturday, Boston will face the Houston Dash at 4 PM ET, airing live on ION.
The Portland Thorns came to play on Friday, defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in DC to usher in another season in one of the world's most competitive pro women's soccer leagues.
Despite Washington dominating possession with an advantage in shots taken, Portland stole the first result of the 2026 NWSL season thanks to midfielder Olivia Moultrie's brilliant second-half strike.
"I think Olivia Moultrie has the potential to be the best player in the world," Thorns manager Robert Villahamn said postgame. "She is so good and she has so much passion."
Portland's win underlined the incoming season's shifting landscape, with each team showcasing both major returns and big-name absences.
Thorns forward Sophia Wilson took the pitch for the first time since 2024 in the 77th minute, while Portland also found itself compensating for departed starting midfielder Sam Coffey, who joined WSL side Manchester City in January.
Meanwhile, the Spirit got a full 90 minutes out of re-signed superstar Trinity Rodman, though the midfield struggled without former centerpiece Croix Bethune — who scored in her Kansas City Current debut on Saturday.
How to watch the Portland Thorns and Washington Spirit next weekend
Both clubs return to the NWSL pitch on Friday, with the Spirit visiting Racing Louisville at 8 PM ET, airing live on Victory+.
The Thorns will then host rival Seattle Reign, kicking off live at 10 PM ET on Prime.
The season-opening NWSL lineup is bringing fireworks to the pitch on Saturday, as 2026 newcomer Denver Summit FC looks to lay a foundation in their inaugural match against 2024 expansion team Bay FC.
Led by former Manchester City manager Nick Cushing, the Summit gets its first taste of NWSL action in California before heading home to set an expected new single-game attendance record at Mile High Stadium.
"Our expectation is to win a championship," Summit defender and Colorado product Janine Sonis told the Denver Gazette. "We want to win, and we want to win doing what we do well."
Notably, Denver will hit the pitch without its flashiest signing, with USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps remaining with OL Lyonnes until the French club wraps its 2025/26 season, joining the Summit for the second half of the 2026 NWSL campaign.
One splashy midfield addition should make an appearance in Saturday's match, however, after Bay FC brought in former KC Current star Claire Hutton to shore up the 2025 Shield-winner's ranks last month.
"A big piece of me coming onto the team is seeing what they need from me and seeing what else I can bring," Hutton told the Times Union. "Each player has a specific role and identity on the team."
How to watch Bay FC vs. Denver Summit on Saturday
Bay FC will host 2026 expansion side Denver in the Summit's NWSL debut at 6:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.
Gotham FC will start the 2026 NWSL season flying high, as the reigning NWSL champions look to rev up a fresh regional rivalry against expansion side Boston Legacy FC on Saturday.
"There's a target on your back, but that's what's really fun about this league," Gotham defender and 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale told amNewYork. "You want as much pressure and for the stakes to be as high as possible."
"We want to just play free, we want to have fun, and show something about football that is not always seen in this league," said Boston forward Nichelle Prince ahead of the club's debut match.
Prior to kicking off the 2026 season, Gotham added another stellar contributor to their stacked roster, as the Bats officially signed Chelsea winger and Norway star Guro Reiten on Thursday.
The six-time WSL champion will join the NWSL side on loan through July, before entering into a pre-arranged contract running through 2029.
"Her experience competing for major trophies with Chelsea and her impact with the Norwegian national team will bring valuable leadership and attacking creativity to our squad," said Gotham GM and head of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West in the club's announcement.
How to watch Boston Legacy vs. Gotham FC in their 2026 NWSL opener
Expansion side Boston will host the reigning champion Gotham in the Legacy's inaugural match on Saturday.
The East Coast duo will face off at 12:30 PM ET, airing live on ABC.
The NWSL is kicking off the year with a double espresso, as Sophia Wilson and the Portland Thorns visit Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit in the league's 2026 season opener on Friday night.
The match is expected to feature Wilson's regular-season return, with the recently re-signed Thorns star taking the field for the first time since 2024 in a preseason friendly last week.
"Obviously I'm being very patient with myself," the new mom said ahead of Friday's clash. "I've just been so eager to get my first game minutes, so I feel like I checked that box. I feel good."
Washington superstar Rodman will aim to spoil her USWNT counterpart's big moment, however, as the world's newly minted highest-paid women's footballer hits the NWSL pitch after an offseason filled with contractual uncertainty.
"At the end of the day, we need to help her be as unpredictable as possible, and help her develop both personally and professionally," Washington manager Adrián González said of his franchise player.
Both teams will also be navigating high-profile departures from their midfields, after 2025 Thorns captain Sam Coffey signed with WSL side Manchester City in January and Spirit centerpiece Croix Bethune transferred to the Kansas City Current last month.
How to watch the first match of the 2026 NWSL season
The 2026 NWSL season kicks off with the Washington Spirit hosting the Portland Thorns at 8 PM ET on Friday, airing live on Prime.
Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson returned to soccer for the first time since 2024 with relatively little fanfare. She entered Portland's March 8th preseason friendly against CF Monterrey as a 75th-minute substitute — after the Thorns scored five first-half goals.
With a 4-1 Portland scoreline, Wilson didn't have much to do, but her presence felt significant. The Olympic gold medalist is getting back into form after having her daughter Gigi last September, after which she immediately began plotting her return to the pitch. During the NWSL offseason, fans could see Wilson getting in touches on social media — a clear statement of intent for an imminent comeback.
"Obviously I'm being very patient with myself," Wilson said ahead of Friday's 2026 NWSL kickoff. "I've just been so eager to get my first game minutes, so I feel like I checked that box. I feel good."
Portland's season opener against Washington shoves Wilson into an even brighter spotlight. The Thorns are eager to have Wilson back, as the club evolves under new ownership and significant personnel changes. But to find success in 2026, Portland needs their superstar — and not a moment too soon.
Wilson Ushers in a New Era for Player-Parents
Speaking with media in January, Wilson recalled feeling both excited and nervous to tell USWNT manager Emma Hayes about her pregnancy.
"It's like telling your boss that you can't work for a year," 25-year-old laughed. "But she was so happy for me… I can't say enough good things about Emma and the support that she's given me."
She credits Hayes's relationship with her own son Harry — a beloved national team mainstay — in the USWNT player pool's growing confidence around family planning. Wilson's Triple Espresso teammate Mallory Swanson also got pregnant last year, having her daughter Josie in November. And the two young moms have been happily swapping notes.
"Going through that with someone you're so close with is so special, because it's such a unique experience," Wilson said. "There's few people in our world that know what we do and have gone through that at the same time."
Wilson and Swanson also benefit from the pregnancy protections written into both the NWSL and USWNT collective bargaining agreements, gains the generation before them fought to achieve.
In the NWSL, players receive 100% of their salary while on pregnancy leave, in addition to full health insurance coverage. The USWNT's 2022 CBA states that pregnant players qualify for up to $8,333 over as many as six months. And upon their return, they receive a minimum of two senior team camp invitations (though not necessarily for major tournaments). Rather than fearing retaliation from club or country, players can make informed decisions for themselves, forever changing player health dynamics.
"My appreciation for the past moms just grows," Swanson said of the player-parents that forged the path she walks today. "I'm just so thankful for all that they fought for."
"Them coming back from pregnancy is amazing in itself, and how good Soph is looking already on the field after having her baby. I'm in awe of all the moms," said third Triple Espresso member Trinity Rodman. "It's already insane without a kid."
Wilson also credits motherhood with a change in perspective. And while her mom teammates told her that would happen, she had to experience for herself.
"I'm the same person, but I am different now," she said. "I'm a mom, and I think that's my most important title. Practice can go either way, but when you go home to your child, it's like nothing else matters."
Without professional soccer consuming her entire world, Wilson has space to rekindle the athletic artistry she's always been known for. "I think that perspective helps me on the field, because it just allows me to be more free," she continued. "I play my best soccer when I'm having fun."
Stepping Back into the NWSL Spotlight
Wilson's world no longer revolves solely around the beautiful game. But the world can't forget just how good she is with the ball at her feet.
Throughout her absence, Wilson's impact on the USWNT has loomed over international play, as Hayes continues to craft her roster ahead of the 2027 World Cup. Not ready to rejoin the team at March's SheBelieves Cup, Wilson — and Hayes — might have to settle for an April return as the US readies for a three-friendly series against Japan.
But those following Wilson's career from the start know that her US success has always been rooted in the NWSL. It's there that she's stockpiled individual and team accolades since getting drafted by the Thorns in 2020. In just five seasons, Wilson is already an NWSL MVP, final MVP, league champion, Shield winner, and Golden Boot winner.
Of course, her teammates haven't forgotten. "When you think of the Thorns, you think of Sophia," said Portland forward Reilyn Turner. "Obviously she's a big part of the heart and soul of the Thorns, and we have definitely missed her this past year."
"I just want people to be scared to play us," midfielder Olivia Moultrie added. "I want me and Sophia to be a duo that teams just do not want to have to deal with."
Wilson's timing couldn't be better. The Thorns were in constant flux this offseason, from USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey's high-profile overseas transfer to former Tottenham manager Robert Vilahamn's last-minute addition as head coach this month.
So it came as no surprise when Portland exercised its star's one-year option for a reported $1 million. But even then, the team only secured her services for one more season. And for a club struggling to figure out its new identity, that kind of uncertainty could pose existential problems.
But with Wilson on their bench, the Thorns don't appear too rattled.
"We've had maybe 30 new faces in and out of the team in the last few months," Wilson said this week. "And that's really hard to keep a high level, to keep a high standard when you have so many new faces. I just give credit to every single person who's come into this environment and put their head down and got to work."
Adapting in Her Absence: How the Thorns Evolved
Despite the chaos, there are reasons to think Portland might have actually benefitted from Wilson's leave, honing its attack to better match her upon her return.
The Thorns offense saw additional losses in 2025, after winger Morgan Weaver and young forward Caiya Hanks suffered season-ending injuries. Then Portland traded attacker Hina Sugita to Angel City, further thinning the team's attacking ranks.
Suddenly without some of their biggest offensive weapons, Turner and Moultrie had to adapt — and they pulled it off in style. The Thorns went on to finish third in the NWSL standings with the fourth-most goals scored over the course of the 2025 season.
"At first, I could only play one position, but as you know, people drop out, injuries happen, and people leave," Turner said. "To be as successful as we were, we had to move players around. I've become very versatile."
"We definitely had to face adversity in a lot of different ways," she continued. "I'm excited to get [Wilson] back, and hopefully we can get in the groove of things."
After experiencing similar growing pains, Moultrie can't wait to send backlines running, finding the space to set both herself and Wilson free on goal.
"I felt like I really came into myself in a way that I was comfortable with at the end of last year," she reflected. "And now I have someone who's really going to take the line back. The defense is going to be worried."
No matter how many goals Portland concedes this season, the team will lean on its offense to keep the results flowing and the crowd fired up. And while she'll continue being patient, Wilson can't wait to remind the world exactly who she's always been.
"I spent a year off and learned a lot about myself, who I am when I'm not playing. I think that was good for me," she said.
"But I'm excited to be back, because I am a soccer player and it's what I love to do."
The NWSL is preparing for kickoff, announcing on-field rule changes, administrative updates, and logistical shifts ahead of the league's 2026 season opener on Friday.
The league officially set this year's salary cap at $3.7 million after accounting for revenue sharing, with Wednesday's press release also laying out the bonus structure for both 2026 team accomplishments and individual NWSL awards.
The NWSL is also expanding its use of RefCam this season, as well as incorporating in-stadium VAR announcements popular with international tournaments.
Additionally, the league is adjusting goalkeeper timeouts, instituting rules to prevent teams from receiving extra tactical instruction when an injured goalie receives on-field treatment.
The rulebook now states that during goalkeeper injury stoppages, players from either team may not approach the technical area under threat of discipline, instead staying put or gathering at the midfield circle.
In addition to dropping rule changes, Wednesday saw NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman lay out the league's expansion plans in her season kickoff address, with the now-16-team league gearing up to announce an 18th club later this year.
That new franchise will join the previously announced Atlanta-based team in making their NWSL debuts in 2028, the first year of a new league media rights deal.
"We have been intentional about extending the ramp-up period for all of our expansion teams," Berman told media on Wednesday. "We have a dozen or so groups that we are continuing to talk to and, depending on their readiness, will help inform our strategy beyond team 18."
The Portland Thorns have finally landed a new boss, as the NWSL club brought on former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Robert Vilahamn on Wednesday — less than two weeks before the 2026 season kicks off.
The 43-year-old Swede managed Tottenham's women's team from 2023 to 2025, when the Spurs sacked him last June after the club finished the WSL season in 11th place — one spot above relegation.
"Robert arrives with managerial experience at the highest levels of the women's game, possesses a strong track record of helping players grow, and will strengthen our team environment by providing new global perspectives and insights," Thorns president and GM of soccer operations Jeff Agoos said in a club statement.
The final NWSL club to fill a coaching vacancy before opening day, Portland began preseason training under interim manager Sarah Lowden, with the assistant coach assuming leadership duties after the Thorns fired Rob Gale following the team's 2025 semifinals loss in November.
"The club has everything I look for, with a clear ambition to win, an incredible fan base, and a strong environment for developing talented players," Vilahamn said in Wednesday's announcement. "The NWSL is the most competitive league in the world.... I'm really looking forward to starting this next chapter in Portland."
How to watch the Portland Thorns kick off their 2026 NWSL season
It's a speedy on-ramp for Vilahamn, who will make his NWSL sideline debut when Portland opens their 2026 season against the Washington Spirit on Friday, March 13th.
The 2025 NWSL semifinals rematch will take place at DC's Audi Field, kicking off live at 8 PM ET on Prime.
The NWSL is ending Black History Month on a high note, teaming up with the Black Women's Player Collective (BWPC) along with sports lifestyle brand Round21 and streetwear company Cross Colours on an exclusive BHM capsule collection.
The five-piece collection features a scarf, T-shirts, a lightweight coach's jacket, and a heavyweight hoodie.
According to the collection's launch statement, the capsule "honors the leadership, creativity, and cultural imprint Black women are making," while certifying their impact "not as history — but as the future of women's soccer."
Additionally, a portion of sales will directly benefit the BWPC "to support ongoing programming and investing in the future of the game."
"Sports culture doesn't stop when the game ends," said Round21 founder Jasmine Maietta. "This capsule exists to deepen connection — between players and fans, history and future, sport and self-expression."
"Our organization was created to build pathways and demonstrate the value a connected ecosystem brings to the culture of soccer," added BWPC executive director and retired Gotham FC and Utah Royals defender Imani Dorsey. "This capsule is a powerful way to showcase the progress each organization has made in growing the game at every level."
How to buy from the BWPC x NWSL Black History Month collection
All items from the 2026 Black History Month BWPC x NWSL capsule are now available for purchase at the NWSL Shop.
The NWSL is gearing up for the 2026 season, with all 16 clubs releasing their jersey designs on Thursday morning — with a few teams going the extra mile.
Each team dropped at least one new look, while select clubs added a third kit to their arsenal for the first time.
Incoming expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC already introduced original home and away jerseys, providing a sneak peek to fans earlier this month, with the 14 veteran clubs revealing their kits on Thursday.
Every new NWSL jersey tells a story, while a few dynamic concepts lean into bold colors and local details.
The Washington Spirit are debuting their first-ever cherry blossom kit, the Wave's latest addition reflects San Diego's 1,200-acre Balboa Park, and the Pride's Unity Kit symbolizes "the strength, resilience, and unity of the City of Orlando" 10 years after the Pulse Nightclub tragedy.
Other kits embrace regional lore, like Racing's disco ball design — a nod to Louisville's history as the world's leading disco ball producer — with the North Carolina Courage paying homage to the state's official carnivorous plant, the Venus fly trap, while Gotham FC's first-ever third kit is a 3D take on Lady Liberty.
How to purchase the new 2026 NWSL jerseys
The 2026 NWSL kits — including goalkeeper jerseys, customizable jerseys, and pre-match tops — are currently available for purchase in unisex, women's, and youth cuts at the NWSL Shop.