Gotham FC opens NWSL playoffs as top seed after first 30-game season
The gist
Top-seeded Gotham FC host eighth-seeded Seattle Reign in an NWSL quarterfinal on Nov. 8.
The eight-team postseason follows the league's longest regular season ever.
How it unfolded
- Nov 2, 2026NWSL Communications announces the quarterfinal round is set ahead of the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel.
- Nov 6, 2026ESPN publishes its final ranking of the 25 best NWSL players of 2026 after the league's first 30-game regular season.
- Nov 7, 2026Fourth-seeded Kansas City Current host fifth-seeded Angel City FC in a quarterfinal at noon ET at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Key terms
- NWSL
- A women's professional soccer league that is the highest level of the United States soccer league system.
- NWSL Shield
- An annual award given to the National Women's Soccer League team with the best regular-season record.
- seed
- A stage in a knockout tournament with sixteen competitors, from which winners advance to the quarter-finals.
Source: Wikipedia