Courtesy of ESPN
The National Women’s Soccer League is growing across the United States. The league currently has 14 teams across all regions in the country, and will have two more playing by the 2026 season.
Courtesy of CBS Boston
In 2023, it was announced that Boston would get an NWSL expansion team. In a city that has 39 championship titles amongst its five current professional teams, BOS Nation FC will finally allow women’s sports to be a part of Boston’s championship culture.
BOS Nation FC takes pride in the city of Boston. On their website, when introducing the team’s identity, the organization says, “We are BOS Nation. Unified not only by our similarities, but also our differences. Brought together by our love for the beautiful game. Now in this beautiful city we hold so dear.”
The team is set to use the historic White Stadium in Franklin Park, built in the 1940s for the use of Boston Public Schools. With concerns surrounding the stadium’s new purpose and the price of renovations, BOS Nation FC is committed to listening to the voices and concerns of the Franklin Park community and provides a form for people to share their concerns and create conversation.
Courtesy of Sportico
This year, several cities were bidding to host the NWSL’s 16th team, which would join BOS Nation FC in the 2026 season. Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Denver were named as the finalists, and recently, one city has been zeroed in on: Denver.
Denver is currently home to seven professional teams, including their MLS team, the Colorado Rapids. Denver’s NWSL team would be the city’s first major professional women’s sports team.
The news of Denver being in exclusive expansion talks was released by Sportico. While the NWSL has yet to make a formal and official announcement of the league’s selection, and details on Denver’s NWSL team haven’t been released, Cleveland Pro Soccer announced that Cleveland was not selected with the citation of Sportico’s article.
With the Denver announcement, the anonymous sources interviewed by Sportico said, “Nothing is finalized, and it could still take weeks, or months, to hammer out a signed agreement.”
Once the news is officially released by the NWSL, I’d expect the details on the team and its plans will be made public.
As Cincinnati and Cleveland, as well as Nashville and Philadelphia, all had plans for bringing in an NWSL team, the cities will likely be eyed for spots for future NWSL teams, as the league is far from complete in its expansion.
I want to express excitement for Boston and Denver, and their fans, in welcoming women’s sports in their cities. I hope my hometown, Cleveland, joins them soon, and I will continue to be vocal and advocative about that.
Edited by Giana Robertaccio