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2025 National Women's Soccer League season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
National Women's Soccer League
Season2025
DatesTBA
2024
2026

The 2025 season is the upcoming 13th season for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it will be the 19th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.

The league has 14 teams, unchanged from the 2024 season, which set a record for average attendance and television ratings.[1] It is the second under a set of national broadcasting agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps Sports that run through the 2027 season.[2] The 2025 season is not expected to see the return of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, an international competition between clubs from the NWSL and Liga MX Femenil of Mexico.[3] It will be the first season without a college draft; the 2025 rookie class will enter the league as free agents.[4]

The defending NWSL Championship and NWSL Shield winner is Orlando Pride.[5] The Chicago Red Stars renamed themselves to Chicago Stars FC prior to the season.[6]

Teams, stadiums, and personnel

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Stadiums and locations

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Team Stadium Capacity
Angel City FC BMO Stadium 22,000
Bay FC PayPal Park 18,000
Chicago Stars FC SeatGeek Stadium 20,000
Houston Dash Shell Energy Stadium 22,039
Kansas City Current CPKC Stadium 11,500
NJ/NY Gotham FC Sports Illustrated Stadium 25,000
North Carolina Courage Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park 10,000
Orlando Pride Inter&Co Stadium 25,500
Portland Thorns FC Providence Park 25,218
Racing Louisville FC Lynn Family Stadium 11,700[a]
San Diego Wave FC Snapdragon Stadium 35,000
Seattle Reign FC Lumen Field 10,000[b]
Utah Royals America First Field 20,213
Washington Spirit Audi Field 20,000
  1. ^ Seated capacity; full capacity with standing room is 15,304.[7]
  2. ^ Lumen Field has a capacity of 68,740; standard configuration for Reign games seats 10,000 but can expand based on demand for individual games.[8]

Coaching changes

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Team Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming coach Date of appointment Ref.
Angel City FC England Becki Tweed Mutual consent December 9, 2024 Preseason Wales Eleri Earnshaw (interim) December 9, 2024

References

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  1. ^ Goff, Steven (November 24, 2024). "In a breakout year for women's sports, the NWSL shows how far it has come". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Henderson, Cydney (November 9, 2023). "Historic: NWSL signs largest broadcast deal in women's sports, adds additional TV partners". USA Today. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Kassouf, Jeff (October 29, 2024). "Does the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup have a future?". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "10 College Prospects to Watch This Offseason". National Women's Soccer League. 2024-12-17. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  5. ^ Osen, Avery (November 24, 2024). "Orlando Pride wins NWSL championship over Washington Spirit, giving Marta a long-awaited title". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  6. ^ Montemurro, Meghan (October 23, 2024). "Chicago Red Stars unveil a new team name and crest for the 2025 season: 'We're re-upping our commitment to the city'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Gardner, Hayes (October 14, 2021). "'A world-class city': Next month's NWSL Championship game moves to Louisville". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  8. ^ Evans, Jayda (December 15, 2021). "OL Reign to play 2022 home games in Seattle at Lumen Field". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
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