The NWSL is officially back, as the Current and Gotham kick off tonight’s 2026 Challenge Cup — the league’s first competitive match since May 31st.
Reigning NWSL Shield winner Kansas City will hunt revenge against defending champion Gotham, after the Bats knocked the Current out of last year’s quarterfinals.
“This kind of brings it back a little more to the playoffs,” said KC midfielder Lo’eau Labonta. “So absolutely we want to get that win.”
The 2026 Challenge Cup also marks Columbus’s first-ever NWSL game, just two months after the Ohio capital landed its own 2028 expansion team.
“I don’t think that there’s any doubt that the team here is going to have a fantastic fan base,” said Gotham and USWNT defender Tierna Davidson. “It’s really just getting them excited for women’s soccer.”
“It’s a sports town in general,” said Ohio State alum and Current defender Izzy Rodriguez. “People get hype around their sports here.”
How to Watch Gotham vs Current in the NWSL Challenge Cup
The 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup kicks off tonight at 8 PM ET, live on Prime.
