The NWSL ushered in its 2026 season with a bang, as the newly expanded 16-team league's opening weekend shattered attendance records across the country.
All eight games combined for crowds of 129,202 total fans. With an average of 16,150 fans per match, last weekend clocked in as the best-attended opening campaign in NWSL history.
Seven of the eight matches drew more than 10,000 fans, logging a new league record for most opening weekend matches surpassing that mark — far exceeding the four-match record set in 2023 and 2025.
Leading the charge by a wide margin was 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy FC, with the NWSL newcomers welcoming 30,207 fans to Foxborough's Gillette Stadium for the club's inaugural home opener against reigning champs Gotham FC on Saturday.
Elsewhere, the season's first match between Portland and Washington ranked second in attendance after a sellout crowd of 19,215 packed into the Spirit's Audi Field for the Thorns' win.
More than 14,000 fans also showed up for the home openers of Angel City (16,813), the Orlando Pride (16,120), and the San Diego Wave (14,078).
Meanwhile, 2024 expansion side Bay FC extended their perfect 10,000+ season-opening crowd streak with 13,110 fans on Saturday.
Defending Shield-winners Kansas City also continued their perfect attendance, as Saturday's 11,500 crowd became the Current's 27th straight regular-season home sellout since CPKC Stadium opened in March 2024.
Though the 2026 opening weekend's attendance total is in part bolstered by the inventory added by two new clubs, the per-match average could be an early indicator that the NWSL is putting 2025's attendance concerns in the rearview.
