| Women's soccer in the United States | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Governing body | U.S. Soccer |
| National team(s) | Women's national team |
| Nickname(s) | USWNT |
National competitions | |
International competitions | |
Olympics (National Team) FIFA Women's World Cup (National Team) CONCACAF Women's Championship (National Team) | |
Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis.[1][2][3] The U.S. is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women's soccer, and FIFA ranked its national team #1 in the world after its back-to-back Women's World Cup victory in 2015 and 2019.[4]
The highest women's professional soccer league in the United States is the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which was established in 2012 as a successor to Women's Professional Soccer and was run by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) before becoming independently governed in 2020. The league began with eight teams and reached its current (and largest) membership of 14 teams in 2024, with Utah Royals FC and Bay FC being the most recent entries in 2024. As of 2023[update], the NWSL season runs from March to November. Each team then plays 26 regular-season games, with each team playing all others once each at home and on the road. After the regular season ends, eight teams advance to three rounds of playoffs. This schedule may be adjusted in years of the FIFA Women's World Cup.[5][6] The NWSL Challenge Cup, previously a preseason tournament, is now one match between the previous year's NWSL Championship and NWSL Shield (best regular season record) winners. The NWSL is the third attempt at a women's professional league in the U.S. and has been the most resilient, having played for more seasons than its two predecessors combined.
- ^ "A Level Playing Field: Why the USA Is So Strong in Women's Soccer". NBC. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ^ Litterer, David (August 17, 2011). "Women's Soccer History in the USA: An Overview". The American Soccer History Archives. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "History Of The U.s. Women's Soccer Team". Livestrong.com. May 26, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "World champions USA back on top" (Press release). FIFA. July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "About the NWSL". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "2022 Competition Rules & Regulations" (PDF). National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved September 18, 2022.