The professional women’s soccer league in the United States, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), is relatively new as its inaugural season was in 2013, but this league is on the rise. In its inaugural season, the NWSL consisted of just eight teams. Now entering its 11^th season, it is the first women’s professional league in the United States to play more than three seasons. The NWSL has grown drastically, particularly in the past few years.

At its current stage, the NWSL is currently comprised of 12 teams, with three teams being added in the past couple years and plans to add more in the near future. This rapid expansion started with the addition of Racing Louisville FC in 2021. The following season, the NWSL added two new teams in California, San Diego Wave FC and Angel City FC. These expansion teams have been very successful, with San Diego placing third in the tables in their inaugural season in addition to qualifying for the playoffs.

The growth does not stop there. The NWSL has announced that it will add two more for the 2024 season, with one of these teams confirmed to be the Utah Royals. This rapid expansion is a result of increased investment in women’s soccer as well as increased involvement by youth and increased support from fans both in the United States and around the world.

In addition to the NWSL growing as a league, it was also recently added to the FIFA 23 game. This is significant because it is giving equal representation to women’s teams that are given to men’s teams. This is yet another way for NWSL fans to interact with the league. Get used to hearing about the NWSL because it is here to stay and on the rise in a major way!