The NWSL Players Association announced Monday that the union, in conjunction with the NWSL, has ratified the league’s first collective bargaining agreement. The news comes on the eve of NWSL preseason, with players expected to report to camps on Tuesday.

A statement from the Players Association: pic.twitter.com/7piQ0n9i0z

— NWSLPA (@nwsl_players) February 1, 2022

The CBA is still “subject to approval by the NWSL Board of Governors,” according to the statement released by the PA. A source told The Athletic that the final terms would likely be approved during the day on Tuesday. Additionally, the source said that the terms of the CBA have previously been agreed to. The final vote that takes place will be centered around the final language of the document.

Players had threatened a work stoppage if there was not a CBA in place by the time preseason began on Feb. 1. In a statement, the NWSLPA said that “players will report to preseason camp tomorrow with the safety, security, and protections” of the new CBA.

“From our inception, the Players Association has put players first,” said NWSL President Tori Huster. “Our mission in this historic CBA was to put this same philosophy at the center of NWSL’s future.”

Included in the CBA is a 160% increase in the league’s minimum salary to $35,000. Year over year, the minimum salary will increase by 4%. Players making above the league minimum will see step-ladder increases.

Additionally, a 401K plan will be implemented in 2023 with the league matching contributions. There will also be minimum standards for housing stipends.

A major point of contention was free agency. In their statement, the NWSLPA said that free agency will begin in 2023, starting with players who have been in the league for at least six years. From there, in 2024, those with three years in the league will become eligible for restricted free agency and those with five years in the league will receive full free agency.

Waived players will receive four weeks of severance pay and 30 days of housing and health insurance.

According to the NWSL, the league will commit between $255,000 and $300,000 to group licensing, another sticking point in negotiations.

Other major points of the CBA include up to six months of paid mental health leave, eight weeks of paid parental leave for birth or adoption and “no more playing on fields that require substantial conversion to the dimensions of a soccer field.”

“The strength, resilience, and solidarity of this extraordinary group of players and people is what secured this landmark agreement,” said NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke. “Players drove every decision in this process. Over more than 40 bargaining sessions, these players stood strong and stood together, right up to the moment of ratification.”

According to the league, the CBA will last for five years and run through the 2026 season.

“This historic agreement formalizes a partnership between owners, front offices and players that is absolutely critical for our league’s long-term growth and success,” said Ed Nalbandian, NJ/NY Gotham FC Owner and Vice-Chair. “I want to thank the players and NWSLPA Executive Director Meghann Burke for the partnership they’ve exhibited in negotiating an agreement that prioritizes player safety, club accountability, and the financial well-being of our players and league. We’re all in this together, and I want to thank my fellow owners for committing the resources that our players so richly deserve.”

The 2025 Women's World Cup journey of the U-17 USWNT came to an end on Tuesday, when the US fell to the Netherlands in the tournament's Round of 16 after a 1-1 draw led to a tense penalty shootout.

FC Twente forward Liv Pennock gave the Dutch a one-goal lead in the third minute before a bullet from Chicago Stars attacker Micayla Johnson pulled the USWNT level in the game's second half, but the US couldn't finish the job, losing 7-6 in penalties.

The USWNT has never won a U-17 Women's World Cup, finishing as runners-up in the tournament's inaugural 2008 competition before taking third in the 2024 edition.

With three pros on the roster — Johnson, Gotham FC striker Mak Whitham, and Utah Royals forward KK Ream — as well as one player, defender Sydney Schmidt, on an amateur contract with USL Super League side Sporting JAX, the U-17 USWNT did manage to put together their most impressive group-stage performance yet, taking all nine points from their three opening matches for the first time in team history.

Even more, the team did so in dominant fashion, taking down Ecuador 3-0 and China 5-2 before blasting Norway 5-0 to advance to the knockouts.

The young USWNT will have another shot at a world championship next year, when the now-annual U-17 World Cup returns for its second straight edition in Morocco.

Malawi made women's soccer history on Tuesday, qualifying for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time in program history — and giving sister duo Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga the chance to shine on the global stage in 2026.

The Scorchers advanced through the second qualifying round with a 2-0 second-leg win over Angola on Tuesday, with defensive midfielder Faith Chinzimu's late brace securing the aggregate advantage to win the round.

Malawi now joins Cape Verde as the two debutantes to clinch spots in the expanded 16-team 2026 tournament.

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Even more, the Scorchers' breakthrough will give two of soccer's biggest club stars their biggest platform yet, as sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga gear up for the first major international tournament of their decorated careers.

While 29-year-old OL Lyonnes forward Tabitha participated in this week's WAFCON qualifying round, 27-year-old Kansas City Current striker Temwa sat out after the 2024 NWSL MVP suffered an adductor strain in her club's 1-0 upset loss to the Houston Dash on October 18th.

"It means more opportunities and great exposure to both older and upcoming players. It is a continental platform to bring football dreams alive," Tabitha told BBC Sport Africa this week.

The 2026 WAFCON tournament will see the Chawinga sisters and Malawi contend with powerhouses like host nation Morocco and reigning 10-time champion Nigeria when the continental competition kicks off on March 17th.

The Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave are leveling up, with the NWSL teams set to represent the US in the first-ever North American edition of the seven-a-side tournament World Sevens Football (W7F).

Kicking off December 5th in Fort Lauderdale, the NWSL clubs will join Northern Super League side AFC Toronto, Brazilian powerhouse Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, and Colombian contender Deportivo Cali — as well as Liga MX titans Club América and Tigres UANL — on the W7F tournament pitch.

W7F will announce the eighth and final team to join the competition at a later date.

Armed with a $5 million prize pool, December's W7F competition follows a successful May 2025 debut of the soccer venture in Portugal.

"Our team thrives on intensity, creativity, and competition, which fit perfectly with the 7v7 style of play," said Kansas City assistant coach Milan Ivanovic. "This tournament is an incredible opportunity for our players to test themselves against some of the world's best in a dynamic, fast-paced environment."

"We're proud to represent Kansas City and the NWSL on the international stage and to continue pushing the women's game forward," added Ivanovic.

How to watch December's W7F tournament

There will be four competition sessions in the upcoming W7F event, with two days of group play before the semifinals, third-place, and championship matches take place on December 7th.

All W7F matches will stream live on DAZN.

Angel City co-founder Alexis Ohanian stirred the pot this week, divulging the circumstances behind the NWSL club's 2024 sale on Front Office Sports podcast "Portfolio Players" on Tuesday — and calling the original ownership model of the 2022 expansion team "a terrible idea."

Ohanian said he regretted relinquishing control to three of his co-founders — actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman, and current club CEO Julie Uhrman — claiming they invested "no money" themselves.

"I was [the] founding control owner in the eyes of the league, so it's my ass on the line," Ohanian continued, adding that last year's $250 million sale of Angel City directly stemmed from the celebrity-driven investment group's unsustainable startup-like ownership structure. "That works great in tech. In sports, it's a terrible idea."

Following a clash between Ohanian and his fellow ACFC owners on the team's operational and financial future, Disney CEO Bob Iger and USC dean Willow Bay stepped in to purchase the team, aligning board control with stakeholder interest.

"I think the best outcome here is, you got Bob and Willow, they have board control, and it's good," he said. "It's a rebuild."

Angel City did not immediately respond to Ohanian's interview, with Portman and Uhrman remaining on the club's board of directors while Nortman is a non-voting investor.