The 2027 Women's World Cup has officially claimed its calendar spot, with FIFA announcing Tuesday that the tournament's Brazil-hosted 10th edition — the first-ever in South America — will run from June 24th through July 25th.
"The FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 is already taking shape and we can’t wait for the opening match," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Looking to break 2023's record-setting attendance and viewership numbers, Infantino also noted, "This historic tournament will have a massive impact not only in South America, but around the whole world, taking the women's game to the next level in terms of participation and popularity."
Prepping for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers
The international soccer governing body also allocated the competition's 32 available spots, with CONMEBOL's Brazil earning automatic entry as one of the three slots granted to the continental confederation.
UEFA leads the pool with 11 teams, followed by AFC with six, CAF and Concacaf with four each, and OFC's one.
The final three squads will be determined by a 10-team, two-round play-in tournament taking place in late 2026 and February 2027.
The road to Brazil kicks off in 2025
With details including host cities and venues still to come, the road to the 2027 World Cup is ramping up with qualifying matches looming just around the corner.
Next year's UEFA Nations League play will determine the 11 European teams bound for Brazil, including 2023 world champions Spain. Meanwhile, the path to a fifth star for the world No. 1 USWNT crest begins with Concacaf W Qualifiers in late 2025.
Similarly, 2025 qualifying matches for the 2026 AFC Asian Cup and 2026 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off World Cup entrances for teams in those federations. CONMEBOL will look to the 2025 Copa América tournament to determine the remaining two entrants that will compete alongside host Brazil, while OFC is likely to set their World Cup qualifying matches for next year.
Superstar exits pave the way for new World Cup stars
Both expected and surprise entrants will book their 2027 World Cup spots over the next two years, but the Brazil tournament's sidelines are already set to feature fresh faces after a flood of soccer greats called game in 2024.
The host nation will compete in their first World Cup since 1999 without legendary attacker Marta, whose 17 goals lead the tournament's all-time scoring list.
Canada is suffering the same fate with 2027 marking the first edition in 28 years without leading international goalscorer Christine Sinclair.
Two-time trophy-winners Germany — the only team other than the US with more than one world title — recently bid adieu to star Alexandra Popp, who retired as a four-time World Cup competitor.
As for the USWNT, they'll look to follow their 2024 Olympic gold medal with a 2027 World Cup title, but without star striker Alex Morgan, defender Kelley O'Hara, or goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who followed 2023 retirees Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz out the door this year.
Top seeds stole the show in this weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, as surging strikers, clutch saves, and center-back perfection saw all four higher-ranked teams advance to the semifinals in style.
With the league's top four towering over the rest of the pack by at least 16 points at the end of regular-season play, the weekend's results held few surprises — though the stakes for next weekend's semis have officially been raised.
Orlando's offense, KC's defense shine in quarterfinal wins
Proving why they're the 2024 Shield-winners, No. 1 Orlando blasted No. 8 Chicago 4-1 to kick off the NWSL Playoffs with the club's first-ever postseason win on Friday.
After defensive midfielder Haley McCutcheon opened Orlando's account in the 26th minute with her first goal on the season, star Barbra Banda added a brace before the first-half whistle. Legend Marta topped off the Pride's goal count with a second-half penalty, rendering Red Stars forward Jameese Joseph's sneaky score too little, too late.
After setting the league's goal-scoring standard this season — both at the team and individual level — No. 4 Kansas City secured their semifinal spot thanks to top-notch defense on Saturday.
Despite No. 5 North Carolina controlling the majority of the game's possession, the Current held strong, shutting out the Courage to let Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga's eighth-minute goal stand alone in the 1-0 victory.
East Coast sends West Coast packing
While tactically different, Sunday's doubleheader followed similar scripts: Goalless first halves led to 1-1 scorelines before East Coast powerhouses No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Gotham emerged with late 2-1 wins over No. 7 Bay FC and No. 6 Portland, respectively.
The earlier match served arguably the most drama, with the Spirit needing extra time to decide their semifinal fate. Bay FC attacker Asisat Oshoala broke the scoreless deadlock in the game's 82nd minute before Washington center back Tara McKeown notched her Iron Woman season's first goal to equalize four minutes later.
A cross from Spirit star Trinity Rodman deflected off Bay's Caprice Dydasco in the 96th minute to clinch the Washington victory.
In the later battle between the league's last two champions, Gotham's Tierna Davidson kept the center back party going with her first-ever goal for the club in the 67th minute. Rookie Reilyn Turner equalized seven minutes later off a Portland set piece, but Rose Lavelle ended the Thorns' 2024 campaign — and soccer legend Christine Sinclair's unparalleled career — by netting the game-winner seven minutes into stoppage time.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL semifinals
No. 2 Washington will kick off the semifinal round by hosting defending NWSL champions No. 3 Gotham at 12 PM ET on Saturday. Live coverage will air on CBS.
No. 4 Kansas City will then visit No. 1 Orlando in the second semifinal at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.
After a record-setting season, the 2024 NWSL Playoffs have landed, with the expanded eight-team lineup kicking off the weekend's do-or-die quarterfinals with a clean slate.
No. 1 Orlando, whose Shield-winning year ended in a skid, begins the postseason action on Friday, hosting a No. 8 Chicago side that just barely made the postseason cut. The Pride will notably do so without defender Rafaelle, who landed on the season-ending injury list with a partial quad tendon tear on Tuesday.
Adding another hurdle to Chicago's gargantuan Orlando task is the fact that the Red Stars will be without some key firepower. Striker Ludmila, the club's third-most prolific goal scorer on the season, is serving an extended red card suspension that will keep her sidelined through the semifinals, should the Red Stars advance.
After finishing last season second-to-last on the NWSL table, No. 4 Kansas City earned quarterfinal hosting rights this year. The Current, who scored a league-record 57 goals this season, haven't lost since September 1st, when they fell to the No. 5 North Carolina Courage — the same team they'll face on Saturday.
The biggest question-mark for the Current, however, is the status of 2024 Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who was sidelined last weekend after a knock to the knee.
"She’s progressing well," KC coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Chawinga's status on Wednesday. "Hopefully, we have more answers closer to the game."
That said, Andonovski made it clear that expectations won't change regardless of Chawinga's availability. Pointed to KC’s 3-1 win over Chicago last Sunday, he noted that while "the success that this team has enjoyed this season is a team success, and it’s not just the 20 goals that Temwa scored."
Sunday doubleheader will finalize NWSL semis
This Sunday afternoon is all about the NWSL, beginning when No. 7 Bay FC, the winningest expansion team in league history, head to DC to play a No. 2 Spirit squad still bouncing back from injuries.
While Washington has star forward Trinity Rodman and defender Casey Krueger back on the pitch, they'll be without midfielder Andi Sullivan, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last month. Also missing will be forward Rosemonde Kouassi as she finishes serving her extended red card suspension.
To cap things off, defending champs No. 3 Gotham FC will host perennial contenders Portland. The Thorns snagged their lowest postseason seeding ever at No. 6 after a shaky season put their now eight-straight playoffs streak at risk.
Even so, Portland could be poised to surprise a Gotham side that boasts one of the best defenses in the league. The Thorns' final regular-season match displayed their best attacking performance in NWSL play since May, with prolific scorers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver all finding the back of the net.
NWSL MVP, Rookie of the Year awards come into focus
As the season ends, the NWSL's individual award frontrunners are emerging — and none more so than KC's Chawinga. The Kansas City striker is poised to run away with the league's MVP honors thanks to her speed, technical skill, and record-breaking 20 goals on the season.
Though Orlando’s Barbra Banda made her MVP case by keeping pace with Chawinga in the season's first half, she quieted after the Olympics while Chawinga upheld her unbelievable consistency, blasting eight more goals across nine post-break matches.
Instead, the Pride could likely see Coach of the Year honors after Seb Hines led the Shield-winners on a record-breaking 23-match unbeaten streak this season.
In the Rookie of the Year race, the NWSL’s 2024 class impressed, from Louisville ringer Emma Sears to KC defensive midfielder Claire Hutton to Washington’s absolutely stacked group of six debutants.
That said, Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune tops the competition with five goals and a record-tying 10 assists, despite playing in just 17 matches before a torn meniscus ended her season.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs this weekend
Orlando and Chicago kick off at 8 PM ET on Friday, live on Prime, with KC battling NC on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.
On Sunday, Washington hosts Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before Portland visits Gotham at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on ABC.
The 2024 NWSL Playoffs are officially set, with Portland and Bay FC clinching the final two postseason spots this weekend.
The Thorns punched their ticket with Friday's 3-0 win over Angel City thanks to a trio of first-half goals from attackers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver. The victory officially extends Sinclair's pro career by at least one more match, and saw the soccer legend notch her final goal in front of a Providence Park home crowd in her 200th regular-season game.
Then on Saturday, a brace from forward Racheal Kundananji boosted Bay FC to a 3-2 win over Houston, snagging the 2024 expansion team the postseason's No. 7 seed in the process. Even more, Bay became the winningest first-year team in NWSL history with 11 wins, surpassing 2022 expansion team San Diego's 10 victories.
Top NWSL playoff teams build postseason momentum
The top four playoff-bound teams rolled through their last regular-season matches, with Orlando, Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City securing both victories and important postseason momentum.
Notably, Shield-winners Orlando snapped their two-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 win over Seattle, giving Pride fans hope for some more 2024 hardware.
North Carolina and Chicago, however, floundered in losses. Washington striker Ashley's Hatch's 37th-minute goal was the difference-maker in North Carolina's 1-0 loss on Saturday, the Courage's first home defeat since April 2023, when they also fell to the Spirit on a Hatch game-winner.
Like the Courage, the Red Stars locked up their playoff spot weeks ago, but their 3-1 Sunday loss to KC had arguably the most potent impact on the postseason picture. The combination of Chicago's defeat and victories from Portland and Bay sent the Red Stars down to eighth place on the table, their lowest standing in the league all season.
Chawinga officially clinches NWSL Golden Boot Award
The other big weekend winner was KC's Temwa Chawinga. Chawinga officially took the 2024 Golden Boot title behind her league-record 20 goals and six assists, despite sitting out the Current's Sunday victory with a knee injury.
Also impressing from the injured list this season is Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who finished as the year's NWSL assist leader. Before her season-ending meniscus tear in August, Bethune notched 10 assists to tie the NWSL record held by Tobin Heath.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs
The NWSL's first-ever eight-team bracket is locked up, with the quarterfinals kicking off on Friday.
No. 1 Orlando will face No. 8 Chicago at 8 PM ET on Friday, streaming live on Prime, with No. 4 Kansas City battling No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.
Sunday's doubleheader will air on ABC, with No. 2 Washington hosting No. 7 Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before No. 6 Portland visits No. 3 Gotham at 3 PM ET.
Portland Thorns captain and Canada national team star Christine Sinclair announced her retirement on Friday, saying that the 2024 NWSL season will be her last as a professional player.
After starting her career in Canada in 1999, this season marks her 25th as a professional footballer. The 41-year-old, who retired from international play as the world's all-time leading scorer in December 2023, will leave the game as one of the most decorated players in history for both club and country.
In her social media announcement, Sinclair wrote about Portland, "As I finish out this last ride, I want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful, and passionate city that I will always call home."
Sinclair was a Thorn from the start
Sinclair, a two-time NCAA champion with the University of Portland, joined the Thorns in the NWSL's 2013 inaugural season, leading the club to the league title that year. The 11-season captain helped Portland pick up two more championships in 2017 and 2022, in addition to the 2016 and 2021 NWSL Shield.
Her 64 regular-season goals are the most in Thorns history and third all-time in the NWSL. Across all NWSL competitions, Sinclair has tallied 79 goals, and is one of just two players to have scored in every type of league competition.
Portland will honor their longtime star with a ceremony on November 1st, immediately following the team's final regular-season match. Currently in seventh-place above the NWSL playoff line, a Thorns postseason berth would extend Sinclair's pro career.
Sinclair's unmatched international career
When Sinclair stepped off Team Canada's pitch for the final time on December 5th, she did so as international soccer's all-time leading scorer. To date, no current player — man or woman — is within 50 goals of her record 190.
Called up for the first time at 16 years old, Sinclair's 23-year Team Canada career included six World Cups and four Olympic Games, where she earned gold in 2021 after winning bronze in both 2012 and 2016. Her 331 international appearances is second only to USWNT legend Kristine Lilly.
A game-changer off the pitch and on
Off the pitch, Sinclair has worked to improve the game in Canada, using her voice to fight for equal treatment and pay for the women's team. That work is far from complete, and Sinclair alluded to her ongoing efforts in her Friday announcement.
"I still have the same passion as that young 4-year-old growing up in Burnaby, BC, but as I hang up my playing boots, I vow to channel it in a new way. To continue growing the game I love, while inspiring the next generation," she wrote.
Before her final international game in 2023, Sinclair told reporters that she still plans to "definitely be involved" in soccer. Sinclair has previously mentioned the possibility of coaching or working with the Northern Super League, Canada's new top-flight women's league set to begin play in 2025.
Christine Sinclair has re-signed with the Portland Thorns, the club announced on Monday.
Sinclair, the world’s all-time leading international goalscorer, signed for just one more year. This comes after she retired from playing for the Canada women’s national team.
She’s one of just three active players in the NWSL to have played for the same team since the league launched in 2013.
“Are you ready for one more year, Portland?” Sinclair announced on social media, posing with the NWSL championship trophies she won in 2013, 2017 and 2022 with Portland.
Sinclair leads the Thorns with 62 goals – the third most in league history – and 176 appearances. She is owner of Portland’s first-ever goal, scored in a match against FC Kansas City on April 13, 2023.
“Sinc has been with this club from the beginning, she is the foundation with which Portland Thorns is built on, and as much as she is a part of the DNA of the Thorns, the Thorns are part of her DNA,” Portland general manager Karina LeBlanc said in a statement.
Christine Sinclair, the all-time leading goalscorer in international soccer, said goodbye to the international game on Tuesday.
She made her 331st international appearance, 23 years after her first for the Canadian senior national team. For one night only, the stadium was renamed Christine Sinclair Place.
Afterward, Sinclair told TSN that the night was “perfect,” as Canada took home a 1-0 win over Australia.
Also retiring was Sophie Schmidt, who played in 225 games for Canada. Sinclair warmed up in Schmidt’s jersey to honor her teammate.
It's not goodbye, it's see you later ❤️ pic.twitter.com/O2TvTM8vnU
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 6, 2023
“Nobody knew she was going to put Sophie’s shirt on, and to me, in that moment that absolutely epitomizes her,” manager Bev Priestman said of Sinclair. “She knows the world’s watching and she doesn’t want her teammate to get forgotten. And she put Sophie’s shirt on, albeit her shoulders are a bit broader than Sophie’s, so it didn’t fit so well. But I thought that was absolute class, and that would’ve made Sophie’s night.”
“I think tonight was incredible,” Canada forward Cloe Lacasse said. “Of course it was so emotional going out there as the starting 11, having Sinclair lead us out. I think everyone had tears in their eyes, but being able to end their careers in this incredible place, Christine Sinclair place, with a victory — I mean, I think it’s a dream for those two and they honestly deserve it more than anyone else.”
In the 12th minute, the crowd gave Sinclair a standing ovation.
“I’ve told her she’s absolutely irreplaceable,” Priestman said, “and forever this program will be better for her.”
While Sinclair will still play a little while longer with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, it was a fitting send off on the international stage for one of the game’s greatest, who won a gold medal with Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I mean honestly, just joy,” she said when asked to sum up the evening. “I’ve done everything I can on this national team. I’m 100 percent satisfied and content. And to go out with a win in front of my friends, in front of my family. Honestly, it’s been the perfect night.”
And just like that… the greatest international goalscorer of all time says goodbye.
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 6, 2023
Sinc, your contribution to this sport and this country will never be forgotten.
The GOAT is CANADIAN 🇨🇦#ThankYouSinc 🐐 pic.twitter.com/dvf0W7kGJD
The second year of NWSL free agency opened on Nov. 20.
One of the top free agents on the market is Crystal Dunn, who already has announced her intention to depart the Portland Thorns. Other top targets include OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle and Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson.
With the expansion draft set for Dec. 15, teams and players alike seem to be in no rush to formalize contracts for the 2024 season. Teams can protect up to nine players from selection by Bay FC or the Utah Royals, but free agents are exempt, so expect most signings to become official after the draft.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lone signing on the opening day of free agency went to the Royals. Michele Vasconcelos signed a two-year deal with Utah, setting up her return to her home state.
Unrestricted free agents can negotiate a new contract with any NWSL club, including expansion clubs Bay FC and Utah.
Restricted free agents also can negotiate with any NWSL club, but a player’s current team will have seven days to match any offer received — in salary, bonus structure and years. If the team does not match the offer, the player can sign with the new team, as spelled out in the NWSL’s collective bargaining agreement.
Of the 27 players called into the October training camp for the U.S. women’s national team, 17 are set to compete in the NWSL playoffs.
Every one of the six teams competing in the postseason will send players to the USWNT for its friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and 29. The Portland Thorns lead the way, with five players heading to the national team — not counting captain Christine Sinclair, who will play for Canada as her career winds down.
The NWSL playoffs kick off at 10 p.m. ET Friday, as the OL Reign host Angel City FC in the first round. After the quarterfinal round, the postseason will take a one-week break to allow players to join their national teams for the October international window.
Among the playoff teams, Angel City FC features the least number of international players, per team announcements. Just three are set to join their national teams in October – and two (Alyssa Thompson and M.A. Vignola) will remain here in the United States.
2023 NWSL playoffs: USWNT players
(1) Portland Thorns
- Sam Coffey
- Crystal Dunn
- Olivia Moultrie
- Becky Sauerbrunn
- Sophia Smith
(2) San Diego Wave
- Alex Morgan
- Jaedyn Shaw
- Naomi Girma
(3) North Carolina Courage
- Casey Murphy, USWNT
- Emily Fox, USWNT
(4) OL Reign
- Alana Cook, USWNT
- Sofia Huerta, USWNT
- Emily Sonnett, USWNT
(5) Angel City FC
- Alyssa Thompson, USWNT
- M.A. Vignola, USWNT
(6) Gotham FC
- Lynn Williams, USWNT
- Midge Purce, USWNT
2023 NWSL playoffs: International players
(1) Portland Thorns
- Christine Sinclair, Canada
(2) San Diego Wave
- Kyra Carusa, Ireland
- Sofia Jakobsson, Sweden
- Kailen Sheridan, Canada
(3) North Carolina Courage
- Sydney Collins, Canada
- Mille Gejl, Denmark
- Rikke Marie Madsen, Denmark
- Denise O’Sullivan, Ireland
(4) OL Reign
- Angelina, Brazil
- Quinn, Canada
- Jordyn Huitema, Canada
- Jess Fishlock, Wales
(5) Angel City FC
- Claire Emslie, Scotland
(6) Gotham FC
- Sinead Farrelly, Ireland
- Esther González, Spain
- Ify Onumonu, Nigeria
Christine Sinclair is retiring from the Canada women’s national team.
With 190 goals in 327 games for Canada, the 40-year-old forward steps away as the all-time leading international scorer. She won an Olympic gold medal in 2021, and she played in her sixth World Cup tournament in 2023.
“Honestly, you can’t play forever,” Sinclair told Reuters. “And this seems like a good time to be done.”
Yet while she is hanging up her boots on the international stage, as she teased in an Instagram post Thursday night before officially announcing her retirement Friday, she plans to play another season for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.
The Thorns captain is leading her team into the 2023 playoffs. As the No. 2 seed, Portland has a bye into the semifinal round on Nov. 5, where the defending champions will face either the North Carolina Courage or Gotham FC.
Sinclair also will make a few more appearances for Canada as a send-off tour during an upcoming international window, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.
“The way the schedule is lining up, it’ll be a nice way to end it,” Sinclair said.