Reigning NWSL champs Orlando kicked off their repeat title bid in style, with the No. 4-seed Pride topping a tough No. 5 Seattle Reign 2-0 to punch their ticket to the 2025 semifinals on Friday.
Orlando midfielder Haley McCutcheon opened scoring in the 21st minute, giving the Pride a slim lead well into the second half before captain Marta broke out into a 100-yard solo dash through Seattle's backline, earning the second-half stoppage-time penalty kick that ultimately put the match out of the Reign's reach.
"We have talked so much about this season and compared it to last season," Marta said postgame. "Of course, we don't do the same things we did last year, but we have the same players and the same mentality. We still work so hard and still believe."
After Marta put on the burners to earn that kick from the spot, the Brazil legend chose to cede the spotlight to a beloved teammate.
Marta gave the ball to fellow Pride and Brazil star Luana, a midfielder who recently returned to the pitch after successfully battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma — with Luana going on to sink the penalty to mark her first goal in an Orlando jersey.
"Handing the ball over to Luana optimizes Marta as an individual," said Orlando manager Seb Hines. "She never puts herself above the team and gave the ball to Luana to have her moment."
How to watch the Orlando Pride in the 2025 NWSL semifinals
The No. 4 Orlando Pride will next host No. 8 Gotham FC in the 2025 NWSL semifinals.
The pair will kick off their clash at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ABC.
FIFPRO dropped its 2025 Women's World XI shortlist on Monday, with the worldwide organization representing pro footballers taking heat for snubbing more than a few standout athletes.
The 26-player lineup featured zero USWNT players, continuing a two-year streak of the award omitting US athletes, despite the USWNT winning Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games.d
Reigning Champions League winner and 2025 Euro runner-up Mariona Caldentey also failed to make the cut — a significant snub considering the Arsenal and Spain attacker came in second in at the 2025 Ballon d'Or last month.
Notably, soccer players exclusively vote for the FIFPRO World XI — the only global football award to do so — with this year's nominations ruled by the Euro-winning Lionesses, who snagged 11 overall nods.
Spain saw the second-most nominations — including reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí — while goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham/Germany), right back Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash/Nigeria), attacker Debinha (Kansas City Current/Brazil), striker Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride/Zambia), and forward Marta (Orlando Pride/Brazil) repped the NWSL.
The final Best XI roster will drop on Monday.
Full 2025 FIFPRO Women's World XI shortlist
Goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham/Germany), Mary Earps (PSG/England), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea/England)
Defenders: Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash/Nigeria), Ona Batlle (Barcelona/Spain), Millie Bright (Chelsea/England), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea/England), Olga Carmona (PSG/Spain), Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea/Australia), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City/England), Leah Williamson (Arsenal/England)
Midfielders: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona/Spain), Ghizlane Chebbak (Al Hilal/Morocco), Debinha (Kansas City Current/Brazil), Patri Guijarro (Barcelona/Spain), Vicky López (Barcelona/Spain), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain), Ella Toone (Manchester United/England), Keira Walsh (Chelsea/England)
Forwards: Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal/Brighton/England), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride/Zambia), Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid/Colombia), Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid/Spain), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal/England), Marta (Orlando Pride/Brazil), Alessia Russo (Arsenal/England)
World No. 4 Brazil lifted the Copa América Femenina trophy for a record-extending ninth time on Saturday, winning the 2025 final by topping No. 18 Colombia in penalties after the Conmebol titans finished extra time in a hard-fought 4-4 draw.
Drama ran through the final from start to finish, as Colombia took aim at a first-ever continental title by snagging the lead three times — forcing Brazil to trail for the first time in a Copa América match since 2014.
The physical, often chippy game saw Colombian defender Jorelyn Carabalí narrowly avoid a red card in first-half stoppage time after head-butting Brazil forward Gio Garbelini in the box — the most egregious of the match's combined 36 fouls and eight yellow cards.
While several players on both teams had star turns, Brazil legend and tournament MVP Marta shone the brightest, keeping hopes alive for the defending champs by using the last kick in regulation to net a long-range equalizer that sent the final into extra time at a 3-3 draw.
The second-half sub then handed Brazil their first lead of the match, masterfully tapping in the squad's fourth goal in the 105th minute — though fellow NWSL star Leicy Santos bent in a stellar 115th-minute free kick to keep Colombia in contention.
An NWSL player also reigned supreme in the ensuing seven-round penalty shootout, as Brazil goalkeeper Lorena blocked Carabalí's sudden-death shot to seal the championship win.
With the 2025 Copa América now in their trophy case, Brazil is eyeing their next major tournament appearance as hosts of the 2027 World Cup, though 39-year-old Marta's future with the team remains uncertain.
World No. 4 Brazil and No. 18 Colombia will take center stage on Saturday, when star-studded lineups full of NWSL talent will duke it out in the 2025 Copa América Femenina Final.
The Conmebol titans advanced to the continental tournament's grand finale via two distinctly different semifinals, as Colombia narrowly pushed past No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout on Monday before defending champions Brazil thrashed No. 63 Uruguay 5-1 on Tuesday.
Entering Saturday's match as the favorites, Brazil is led by reigning NWSL champion Marta, with the legendary attacker joined by fellow Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina as well as Gotham FC forward Gabi Portilho, Racing Louisville midfielder Ary Borges, and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena.
Chasing a fifth straight and ninth overall Copa América title, there has never been a final in the tournament's 10 iterations to not feature Brazil.
On the other hand, Colombia is seeking their first-ever Conmebol crown behind a quartet of NWSL standouts: Washington Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos, Racing Louisville defender Ángela Barón, San Diego Wave defender Daniela Arias, and Utah Royals defender Ana María Guzmán.
Saturday's final will be the second straight and fourth overall to pit Colombia against Brazil, and comes just eight days after the pair faced off to a 0-0 draw in their final group-stage match — though notably, Brazil played the bulk of that game with 10 players after keeper Lorena earned a red card in the 24th minute.
How to watch the Copa América final
The 2025 Copa América Final kicks off at 5 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on FS1.
World No. 18 Colombia secured their spot in the 2025 Copa América final on Monday night, when Las Cafeteras bested No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout to take the first of the continental tournament's two semifinals.
Despite dominating in both possession and attacking opportunities, Colombia failed to break through in regulation time, ending the Copa semifinal in a 0-0 stalemate.
However, the 2022 runners-up showed confidence from the spot, securing the victory with a narrow 5-4 penalty differential after six shootout rounds.
"We are finalists and we qualified for the Olympics in Los Angeles, that was our objective," said Colombia goalkeeper Katherine Tapia after the win. "We are prepared for the Final."
With Colombia hunting a first-ever Copa title in their fourth trip to the tournament's finale, they will either face underdog No. 63 Uruguay or reigning champions No. 4 Brazil in Saturday's 2025 title match.
Should Brazil soccer legend Marta and the rest of her team continue their run to a fifth straight — and ninth overall — Conmebol trophy, Colombia would find themselves facing As Canarinhas for a competition record-tying fourth time in the Copa América final.
On the other hand, a Uruguay semifinal victory over Brazil would set up the first-ever Copa América finale to not feature the continental powerhouse.
How to watch Brazil vs. Uruguay in the Copa América semifinal
Defending champ Brazil will take on Uruguay in the second Copa América semifinal at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, as each team aims for a spot against Colombia in Saturday's 5 PM ET tournament final.
Tuesday's semifinal will air live on FS1.
Though international retirement did not stick for Brazil legend Marta, with the 39-year-old currently captaining her world No. 4 national team at the 2025 Copa América tournament, her World Cup future remains in question.
Brazil will be hosting the 2027 event — the first ever held in South America — with the record-breaking attacker turning 41 years old a few months before the World Cup's June 24th kickoff.
"I don't know whether I'll still be playing in 2027 or whether I'll be fit," she told Brazilian outlet Globo on Sunday.
"I still have a very strong desire to be a mother. So, I might wake up one day and decide to call my doctor to see if it's still possible. If it is, then bye, I have to go."
Should she decide to compete, Marta will join fellow Brazilian icon Formiga in logging seven total World Cups — the most of any athlete, man or woman, in soccer history.
In the meantime, the country's all-time leading goalscorer is currently working to help claim Brazil's ninth overall Copa América trophy.
Though early in the 2025 tournament, the Seleção is already on their way to a fifth straight title, opening their campaign with a 2-0 defeat of No. 48 Venezuela on Sunday.
"Brazil is the favorite, and we know it," said Marta. "We know our responsibility to bring home the title."
How to watch Marta in the 2025 Copa América tournament
In their second of four group-stage matches, No. 4 Brazil will play No. 105 Bolivia at 5 PM ET on Wednesday.
The match will air live on FS1.
Soccer legend Marta is officially returning to the canary yellow kit, earning a Brazil national team call-up just over nine months after her planned retirement from international duty.
Brazil head coach Arthur Elias named Marta to the world No. 8 Seleção's roster on Tuesday, with the 39-year-old icon returning for the team's upcoming home friendlies against No. 5 Japan on May 30th and June 2nd.
"I was with Marta recently and spoke with her," Elias told reporters on Tuesday. "She said she is available to help the team while she is playing at a high level, as she is now."
Stellar club form fuels Marta's Brazil return
Marta, who hung up her international boots after snagging a third silver Olympic medal at the 2024 Paris Games, hasn't missed a beat since, captaining the Orlando Pride to the club's first-ever NWSL Shield and Championship last fall.
In the process, the scoring phenom claimed the league's Best XI First Team honors, as well as finalist nods for both the 2024 NWSL MVP and Midfielder of the Year awards.
Unsurprisingly, the Pride inked Marta to a two-year contract extension in January.
While Marta's consistently impressive form fueled Elias's request to lure her out of retirement, the manager is also hoping her unmatched leadership will bolster younger athletes as Brazil takes aim at a record-extending ninth Copa América title this summer — and, as the host nation, a deep 2027 World Cup run.
Joining the legend on Tuesday's roster are fellow Brazil veterans Lorena and Debinha, from the NWSL-leading Kansas City Current, and Marta's Orlando teammate Angelina.
"[Marta's] presence in some call-ups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team," explained Elias. "We really want expectations to rise for the women's national team and for football in our country."
FIFA announced the eight cities that will host matches at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday, primarily selecting sites on the South American country's East Coast over tropical regions that require more extensive travel.
In addition to Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracanã Stadium, the tournament's 64 games will take place across Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and São Paulo.
"The selection of the host cities represents the moment where the dream begins to take shape," said Brazil’s minister of sport André Fufuca. "Each of the selected host cities represents Brazil — a diverse and vibrant Brazil, with people who are passionate about football, and places that already live and breathe the sport and that will now have the opportunity to leave a transformative legacy for their communities and for generations to come."
The 32 teams battling for the 2027 World Cup will begin their hunt on June 24th of that year, with the final taking place on July 25th.
Marta, Formiga help announce 2027 World Cup cities
To bolster the news, FIFA tapped famous Brazilians for its announcement video, including star futsal player Amandinha and two-time NWSL champion Debinha.
Also helping drop the eight cities were the country’s most iconic women's soccer legends, Marta — the World Cup's all-time leading scorer — and Formiga, the only athlete to compete in seven editions of the tournament.
"I won't be on the pitch in 2027, but I'm always ready to represent Brazilian football – even more so at a special moment like this," said the retired Formiga.
"I know every corner of our country, and I can tell you: Each of these cities is full of women's football talents who need support and inspiration," she continued. "The Women's World Cup will be an opportunity for them to see the greatest up close and think, 'If they can be there, so can I.' That's the impact that only an event of this size can have."
Using the 2027 World Cup — the first ever hosted in South America — to grow the women's game is top-of-mind for former player Mariléia "Michael Jackson" dos Santos, who now serves as the country's director of women's football promotion.
"We want to create a solid network that will last well beyond 2027," said dos Santos. "The idea is to decentralise the impact so that women's football flourishes in every corner of the country."
"It's a unique opportunity to change the game, and we're going to make the most of it because Brazilian women's football deserves it, and so do the girls in our country."
The 2025 NWSL season kick-off is here, with all of the league's 14 teams opening their regular-season campaigns this weekend.
The Orlando Pride enters as the reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners, while Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga will defends her league MVP title this season — but rising contenders are bound to challenge 2024’s titans.
"Everybody’s gonna hunt after us, and we need to deal with this and find a way to keep doing our best to keep making history for this club," Orlando captain Marta told reporters last week.
"It's exciting to know that everybody is gonna look to us and then try to make it difficult for us."
Revamped rosters headline 2025 NWSL kick-off
After an offseason packed with coaching hires and player movement, many clubs will be debuting rosters that look decidedly different from last year — significantly raising the stakes of the 2025 season openers.
While Marta's Pride will begin their title defense against the rebranded Chicago Stars FC on Friday and Chawinga's Current will host the already injury-bitten Portland Thorns on Saturday, three of the weekend's other five matches will put some of the offseason's most dramatic roster shifts to the test.
The first marquee matchup will put Houston's revamped roster squarely in the spotlight.
After finishing 2024 at the bottom of the NWSL table, the Dash raided the league, signing rising stars like USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan and former Angel City attacker Messiah Bright in an attempt to go from worst to first this season.
Houston's Friday opponent, however, is a tough task. The Dash will host 2024 runners-up Washington, who managed to win last weekend's 2025 Challenge Cup despite being plagued by injuries.
Stealing Saturday's stage are two teams who sat on opposite sides of one of the offseason's biggest trades — Gotham FC and the Seattle Reign.
After helping the NJ/NY club to their first-ever championship in 2023 and the 2024 semifinals, USWNT star Lynn Biyendolo (neé Williams) requested a move to Seattle. The December trade also sent goalkeeper Cassie Miller to the Reign, with Gotham receiving promising young midfielder Jaelin Howell.
Closing out the 2025 NWSL season kick-off on Sunday are the league's SoCal rivals, Angel City and San Diego.
Both teams enter the season as works-in-progress, as Angel City will compete under interim manager Sam Laity until June while the Wave charts its 2025 course with both a new coach and some recent big-name departures.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL season kick-off
The NWSL's 2025 season is full of potential, with 2024's top four teams seeking to solidify their dominance as new contenders look to rise on this year's pitch.
All the action begins at 8 PM ET on Friday, when both Orlando vs. Chicago and Houston vs. Washington will kick off, airing live on Prime and NWSL+, respectively.
Saturday will start with Kansas City vs. Portland at 12:45 PM ET on ABC, before Racing Louisville and the NC Courage kick off at 5 PM ET on NWSL+.
ION will live broadcast Saturday'd nightcaps, with the Utah Royals taking on Bay FC at 7:30 PM ET before Seattle and Gotham face off at 10 PM ET.
Rivals Angel City and San Diego will cap the weekend with Sunday's 6:50 PM ET tilt, airing live on ESPN2.
The NWSL is back in action, as 2024 Championship contenders Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit suit up for a rematch in Friday night’s 2025 Challenge Cup.
Last November's 2024 season finale saw the Pride earn their first-ever league championship by defeating the Spirit 1-0.
While Friday's Challenge Cup results won’t impact either club’s regular-season record, each player on the winning team will receive a $3,500 bonus — not to mention bragging rights one week out from the 2025 NWSL season's official kickoff.
The Challenge Cup MVP will snag an additional $2,000, while the losing squad will see a $2,200 per player pay bump.
After a banner 2024 that also included winning the franchise's first-ever NWSL Shield, Orlando captain Marta is deeply aware that the Pride will have a target on their backs this season.
"Everybody’s gonna hunt after us, and we need to deal with this and find a way to keep doing our best to keep making history for this club," the 39-year-old Brazil legend told reporters on Thursday. "It's exciting to know that everybody is gonna look to us and then try to make it difficult for us."
Injuries leave Spirit with shortened Challenge Cup roster
While the Challenge Cup offers a 2025 season preview, this year’s short NWSL offseason presented difficulties for squads trying to ready their roster for the long-haul.
Finishing 2024 with a hefty injury tally, the Spirit ruled out a full 11 players for Friday's match, while superstar forward Trinity Rodman is listed as questionable due to her lingering back issue.
"[I'm] just kind of progressing slowly," Rodman told JWS in January. "Even if I feel good, I don’t want to set it back again and be in a bad position."
With both hardware and money on the line, there’s plenty of incentive for players to give it their all on Friday — but long-term priorities also weigh heavy, with the 2025 NWSL season kicking off on March 14th.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup
The 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup will see 2024 runners-up Washington taking on reigning champions Orlando at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on Prime.