The 2026 NWSL season included two new franchises, a historic performance from Gotham FC, a disappointing year from Chicago, again, and a breakout campaign from Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez.
Where do you even begin with this past National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season? The record-breaking crowd at Denver Summit's inaugural match? Super-moms Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson returning to the pitch for both club and country? There were plenty of highs in 2026, but like any season, a lot of lows, too.
There was the chaos surrounding the High Impact Player (HIP) rule, bottom-of-the-table disappointment in Chicago and the Bay, and what felt like an endless wave of injuries that sidelined some of the league's top talent. Keeping up with it all was no small task.
And the league itself? Bigger than ever. For the first time, the NWSL operated with 16 teams, with Denver Summit and Boston Legacy making their debuts. In 2028, that number will reach 18, with expansion heading to Atlanta and Columbus.
Now, with the regular season wrapped up and the playoffs up next, it's only right to reflect on the moments, teams and players that made this year what it was. Gotham will be looking to win the NWSL Championship for the second straight year, Utah Royals are making their first postseason appearance, and Angel City and San Diego Wave enter the playoffs with impressive unbeaten streaks. There's still plenty of soccer left, but plenty worth looking back on, too.
GOALlooks back at the 2026 NWSL regular season...
Gotham captured the 2026 NWSL Shield last Sunday.
Last year, Jaedyn Shaw's "underdog my a**" declaration heading into the NWSL playoffs echoed across the league as Gotham went from barely making the postseason to winning the 2025 NWSL Championship. This year, they aren't underdogs by any means. Gotham has had a stellar season despite some tough injury setbacks, with veteran center back Emily Sonnett and rookie forward Jordyn Dudley both added to the season-ending injury list.
With Australian wonder woman Sam Kerr, longtime Chelsea great Guro Reiten and Irish technical wizard Denise O'Sullivan joining tried-and-true Gotham talent like Rose Lavelle and Shaw, this squad was fully stacked.
It has been a record-breaking year, with Gotham setting a club record of 61 points in a single season, surpassing the previous mark of 56 from the 2024 campaign. Gotham also qualified for the NWSL playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, the club's longest postseason streak in its 13 years in the league.
On Decision Day, Gotham made more history, clinching its first-ever Shield with a 2-0 win over Utah Royals. The club dominated several statistical categories, too. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger led the league with a 0.85 goals-against average, while Gotham conceded the fewest goals (23) and completed the most passes (15,681) of any team during the regular season.
Chicago Stars are one of the oldest and most historic clubs in the NWSL. Originally known as the Chicago Red Stars, the club was a founding member of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) before joining the NWSL in 2013. Chicago has reached the NWSL Championship twice, in 2019 and 2021, but 2026 stands out for far less encouraging reasons.
The club has struggled in recent years, but this season was particularly poor. Chicago finished last with 23 losses and a goal differential of minus-54, the worst in league history. Finding stability on the sidelines has been another challenge, with six head coaches over the last two seasons.
If any club needs an offseason, it's Chicago. But even after such a difficult season, there is a bright spot: the appointment of former U.S. women's national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski as chief soccer officer to lead all technical and sporting initiatives at the club. Andonovski clearly sees something in Chicago and wants to help reshape the narrative around the franchise.
"Joining the Chicago Stars was an easy decision after the conversations I had with ownership and leadership," said Andonovski after the announcement. "We had the opportunity to talk in depth about the direction of this club, their vision, and values. Everything I heard aligns with the way I believe the game should be played and what the club needs to be successful. One of the things that excites me the most about this club is there is so much opportunity, and I can't wait to be around the staff and players and start pushing forward."
Andonovski has had success in the NWSL, too. He took a Kansas City Current team that finished second to last in 2023 and guided it to fourth place just one year later.
If there's a sign of hope for Chicago, it's surely Andonovski.
Denver Summit almost made playoffs, but ultimately missed out in their first season in the league.
Denver Summit FC didn't waste any time making an impact in its first NWSL season. The club set the league's single-game attendance record at its inaugural home game in March, when 63,004 fans turned out at Empower Field at Mile High.
There was plenty of buzz around the new franchise, and Denver gave fans plenty more to talk about. Summit went on to score the most goals (53) of any team in its inaugural season. From Lindsey Heaps and Janine Sonis to Kaleigh Kurtz and Ally Brazier, this team also featured players with deep roots in Colorado soccer.
Denver missed out on the 2026 NWSL playoffs by a narrow margin. The team joined Seattle Reign FC and the North Carolina Courage in a three-team battle for the eighth and final playoff spot. Denver and North Carolina ultimately lost out to the Reign, who clinched the spot with a narrow 1-0 victory over the Orlando Pride.
Denver's 53 goals also tied the 2018 North Carolina Courage for the third-most goals in a single NWSL regular season. From more than 63,000 fans at its first home game to a record-breaking goal tally, Denver made an undeniable impact in Year 1. The ceiling looks well beyond "Mile High" for this franchise.
Ashley Sanchez won the 2026 NWSL Golden Boot with 20 regular-season goals.
Some would say Ashley Sanchez has been that girl, but this season she took it up a notch. The North Carolina Courage midfielder has always been a talented player, but this year she became a prolific goalscorer.
Sanchez scored 20 goals to win the 2026 NWSL Golden Boot, tying the regular-season scoring record set by Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga.
The Courage missed out on the playoffs after Seattle Reign secured the final postseason spot on Decision Day. It doesn't feel quite right to have the Golden Boot winner miss the playoffs, but that just shows how competitive this league really is. The only other time a Golden Boot winner's team missed the postseason was in 2017, when Sam Kerr won the award with Sky Blue FC.
Sanchez's season also stood out because of the change in her role. She has typically played in central midfield for club and country, but the Courage's decision to move her out wide unlocked a new level to her game, allowing her to make those dangerous far-post runs and get on the end of chance after chance.
Some of Sanchez's best moments came when she put her body on the line to meet a delivery at the far post, whether striking a half-volley or stretching to get a touch on the ball. She finished the season with four braces and one hat trick.
