NWSL Calendar Change in 2027

The NWSL is moving the start of its regular season up by a month in 2027, with the first match scheduled for February 11. The league will then pause for a month during the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The changes will preserve a balanced schedule, allowing every club to play each opponent once at home and once away.

The league announced its 2027 schedule framework Wednesday. The Challenge Cup, a one-match competition between the reigning NWSL champion and Shield winner, will be played February 6. The regular season will begin five days later in Los Angeles.

With 16 clubs competing in 2027, each team will play every other club once at home and once away. The league has also avoided scheduling matches during the year’s other FIFA international windows. Three will take place before the World Cup and two will follow it, allowing players to represent their countries without missing NWSL matches.

The schedule includes a mid-season break from club activities from June 7 through June 13. Guaranteed under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the week off is part of its workload-management provisions. The 2027 dates overlap with the June FIFA international window. League play will then stop during the Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil from June 24 through July 25.

The regular season will resume at the end of July and conclude with Decision Day on October 31. The playoffs will follow, with the NWSL Championship scheduled for November 20.

Expansion Will Change the Schedule

Both Atlanta and Columbus are joining the NWSL in 2028, increasing the size of the league from 16 to 18 clubs. The league will then need to decide how the calendar will accommodate the two additional teams.

Preserving the balanced schedule would increase the regular season from 30 to 34 matches, with every club continuing to play each opponent once at home and once away. Accommodating four additional games could require the season to begin earlier, finish later or include more midweek matches.

The NWSL could instead keep a 30-match season and move away from a balanced schedule. One option would be to divide the league into regional conferences, similar to MLS, with clubs playing some opponents more often than others.

NWSL Attendance and Merchandise Sales Continue to Grow

The NWSL reported increased attendance and merchandise sales during the first half of the 2026 season.

The league averaged 11,174 supporters per match. That is the second-highest average in league history, trailing only the record set in 2024. Median attendance also reached a league-record 10,031. For comparison, England’s Women’s Super League averaged 6,841 supporters during the completed 2025-26 season. Its median attendance was 3,236.

Sales through the NWSL’s online shop increased 178% compared with the first half of 2025. League-wide jersey sales during the opening week of the season rose 77%. Merchandise sales were also boosted by the men’s World Cup, increasing 115% compared with the corresponding period in 2025.

Denver and Boston Set a High Bar for Atlanta

The NWSL’s newest clubs attracted two of the largest debut crowds in league history.

Denver Summit FC drew 63,004 supporters to Empower Field at Mile High for its inaugural match in March. Boston Legacy FC opened in front of 30,207 at Gillette Stadium. According to the league, those were the two largest NWSL club debuts since 2015. Denver’s opener also produced the highest single-match merchandise sales in league history.

Denver provides the closest comparison for Atlanta due to their stadium size. Mercedes-Benz Stadium gives Atlanta the capacity to pursue a similarly large crowd when it begins play in 2028.