The 2026 NWSL regular season has come to a close and the three-game sprint to the Championship has now begun as the playoff schedule is locked in.
The team which finished top of the table, Gotham FC, won the NWSL Shield as the best regular season team and enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, securing home field advantage throughout the postseason.
The final team to make the playoffs was the Seattle Reign, who snuck in two points ahead of the first team out, the North Carolina Courage. The Courage were great for two-thirds of the season, but collapsed at the end of the campaign, losing five of their last seven games.
The Sporting News brings you a look at the NWSL playoffs in 2026, including the overall schedule, the teams involved, the fixtures themselves, and how to watch each game.
MORE: Gotham FC ride excellent role players to 2026 NWSL Shield as best regular season team
2026 NWSL playoff schedule
- Quarterfinals: Fri, Nov. 6 — Sun, Nov. 8
- Semifinals: Fri, Nov. 13 — Sun, Nov. 15
- Final: Saturday, Nov. 21 (8 p.m. ET)
2026 NWSL playoff teams
At the end of the grueling 30-game regular season, the top eight teams in the NWSL table made the playoffs, with the bottom eight get axed from the competition.
2026 NWSL playoff teams
| Pos. | Club | Pts | GP | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Gotham FC | 61 | 30 | 18-7-5 | +16 |
| 2. | San Diego Wave | 58 | 30 | 18-4-8 | +14 |
| 3. | Washington Spirit | 55 | 30 | 17-4-9 | +15 |
| 4. | Kansas City Current | 53 | 30 | 16-5-9 | +15 |
| 5. | Angel City FC | 52 | 30 | 15-7-8 | +22 |
| 6. | Portland Thorns | 50 | 30 | 14-8-8 | +9 |
| 7. | Utah Royals | 47 | 30 | 14-5-11 | +5 |
| 8. | Seattle Reign | 47 | 30 | 14-5-11 | +4 |
2026 eliminated teams
| Pos. | Club | Pts | GP | W-D-L | GD |
| 9. | North Carolina Courage | 45 | 30 | 14-3-13 | +10 |
| 10. | Denver Summit | 41 | 30 | 11-8-11 | +11 |
| 11. | Orlando Pride | 36 | 30 | 11-3-16 | -8 |
| 12. | Houston Dash | 33 | 30 | 9-6-15 | -6 |
| 13. | Boston Legacy | 33 | 30 | 9-6-15 | -12 |
| 14. | Bay FC | 27 | 30 | 7-6-17 | -17 |
| 15. | Racing Louisville | 24 | 30 | 7-3-20 | -24 |
| 16. | Chicago Stars | 17 | 30 | 5-2-23 | -54 |
NWSL playoff fixtures
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location | TV/Streaming |
| Fri, Nov. 6 | 10 p.m. | San Diego Wave vs. Utah Royals | Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA) | Prime Video |
| Sat, Nov. 7 | 12 p.m. | KC Current vs. Angel City | CPKC Stadium (Kansas City, MO) | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| Sun, Nov. 8 | 12:30 p.m. | Gotham FC vs. Seattle Reign | Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ) | ABC, ESPN Select, Fubo |
| Sun, Nov. 8 | 3 p.m. | Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns | Audi Field (Washington, D.C.) | ABC, ESPN Select, Fubo |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location | TV/Streaming |
| TBD | Gotham/Seattle vs. KC/Angel City | |||
| TBD | San Diego/Utah vs. Washington/Portland |
Final
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location | TV/Streaming |
| Sat, Nov. 21 | 8 p.m. | TBD vs. TBD | TBD | CBS, Paramount+, Fubo |
