NWSL playoff 2026 preview: How to watch, key matchups and bold predictions

Welcome to the 2026 NWSL playoffs. After 30 matchweeks, the most in league history, the 16 teams are down to eight for the quarterfinals. Like the last two years, no one gets a bye week. It’s all gas, no breaks from here until Nov. 21 when two teams face off in the NWSL Championship at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., at 8 p.m. ET.Despite Denver Summit’s best efforts, neither they nor fellow expansion team Boston Legacy made the postseason. They will get one more go as the newbies in 2027 before two new teams, Atlanta City and Columbus, join the league. For now, let’s focus on who’s in action this November.Reigning champions Gotham kept their momentum this year, winning the Challenge Cup and NWSL Shield. They enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Can they go back-to-back without being the underdogs and complete a league-first domestic treble?Their opponents on Sunday, Seattle Reign controlled their own destiny to hang on to the No. 8 spot. It’s Wales captain Jess Fishlock’s final ride: Will the Reign give one more OG a chance at glory before retirement?The most anticipated quarterfinal is likely Kansas City Current hosting Angel City at CPKC Stadium. Both teams played it cool in the middle of the table but are coming into the playoffs in peak form. Angel City is riding a 10-match unbeaten run.The No. 2 San Diego Wave and the No. 3 Washington Spirit locked down crucial home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs, but their opponents are coming in hungry. The Wave face postseason first-timers Utah Royals, who are currently dealing with some injuries to key players but still have plenty in the tank. Meanwhile, the Spirit’s path to a home championship must go through a familiar foe in the Portland Thorns.The Athletic has what you need to know for the postseason. Let’s start with the basics.How to watchWeekend viewing guideDateHome TeamAway TeamTime (ET)TV/StreamFriday, Nov. 6San Diego WaveUtah Royals FC10 p.m.Prime VideoSaturday, Nov. 7Kansas City CurrentAngel City FC12 p.m.CBSSunday, Nov. 8Gotham FCSeattle Reign12:30 p.m.ABCSunday, Nov. 8Washington SpiritPortland Thorns3 p.m.ABCABC and CBS are free over the air. ABC also streams on Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited. CBS also streams on Paramount+.The semifinals will be set between Friday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 15.The winner of Gotham-Seattle plays the winner of Kansas City-Angel CityThe winner of Washington-Portland plays the winner of San Diego-UtahThe NWSL Championship is set for 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 21 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on CBS and Paramount+THE BRACKET IS SET. THE CHASE BEGINS.The 2026 NWSL Playoffs presented by Google Pixel are officially locked in! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e5u7LhDY1j— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 2, 2026What we are watchingSan Diego Wave (No. 2) vs. Utah Royals (No. 7)The NWSL’s tilt is so delicate that, before the summer break, a Utah vs. San Diego matchup might have favored the Royals. But the postseason cliché that a team’s finish matters more than their start feels important. To put it bluntly: Utah has their work cut out.Since a club-high 10-game unbeaten streak in the spring, the Royals’ results have dipped considerably. They’ve won only five of their past 14 matches and they’re yet to beat any of the teams that finished in the top four of the regular season, including the No. 2 Wave.Mina Tanaka’s absence has hurt Utah’s attack; the Japan midfielder’s fluid role in linking play and creating scoring opportunities isn’t easy to replace. It helps that Utah have experienced players Paige Cronin, Kate Del Fava, and Cloé Lacasse to guide this team through their first playoff match together — not to mention head coach Jimmy Coenraets, a valid coach of the year nominee on his own. But in this game, Utah, for all they’ve accomplished in the regular season, could struggle to match San Diego’s depth.It’s wild to consider San Diego’s strength without Dudinha, who suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus injury in June, or Catarina Macario, signed in March but has not made her debut as she manages an ongoing knee injury. It’s a testament to the Wave’s short- and long-term planning that 18-year-old Kimmi Ascanio, 19-year-old Melanie Barcenas, and 21-year-old Mimi Van Zanten (who, ironically, is the only rookie of that trio) have stepped up and been outstanding in their positions.Add in Kenza Dali’s well-timed return from injury and the Wave are not only firing from all regions of the pitch, but they will be motivated to make a deeper run into the postseason than last year when they lost to the Thorns in the quarterfinals. Having a chance to do it in front of a home crowd will make it even harder for Utah.– Tamerra GriffinKansas City Current (No. 4) vs. Angel City (No. 5) Any meeting between the playoff contenders promises a compelling matchup, but few can match these two teams’ attacking power.The Current closed the regular season with five straight wins to secure fourth place and home-field advantage for Saturday’s quarterfinal. Forwards Temwa Chawinga and Haley Hopkins built the offensive success, Debinha and Michelle Cooper were right behind them in scoring, and midfielder Croix Bethune, who set a NWSL single-season assist record (11), brings creativity and speed to Kansas City’s midfield.But underestimating Angel City would be a mistake.ACFC arrives in Kansas City with considerable momentum after closing the regular season with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Boston Legacy on Decision Day. The last 10 weeks showcased their attacking power, led by Iceland international Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir, who finished the season with 10 goals, and Ally Sentnor, who also found her form, creating opportunities for Jónsdóttir and Maiara Niehues as they developed into one of the league’s most dangerous teams.Being the visiting team at CPKC Stadium is tough. The Current went unbeaten at home throughout the regular season, scoring a franchise-record 39 goals and extending their home unbeaten streak to 32 matches. But Angel City already demonstrated it can compete there. They earned a 1-1 draw in August after defeating Kansas City 2-1 at BMO earlier in the season.For both teams, stakes extend beyond reaching the semifinals.For Angel City, a deep playoff run would show that three seasons of investment in roster, infrastructure and staff is paying off on the pitch.For the Current, the challenge is different. After last year’s shocking quarterfinal elimination by eventual champion Gotham, they have another chance to translate their regular-season dominance into postseason success.— Asli PelitGotham (No. 1) vs. Seattle Reign (No. 8)Fresh off winning their first NWSL Shield, Gotham enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Seattle, meanwhile, were the last team to qualify for the postseason, clinching the eighth and final playoff spot with their 1-0 win over Orlando Pride on Decision Day.This quarterfinal will be a masterclass in gritty defense, with Gotham and Seattle the two teams in the postseason who have scored the fewest goals, but their backlines have been their strengths. Gotham has conceded the fewest goals (23), with goalkeeper Ann Katrin-Berger a stalwart in net. Yet the last time these sides met, Gotham won 3-2, with all three goals coming after the 81st minute in a rare NWSL game played in Manhattan. This will surely be fresh on Seattle’s mind.Under head coach Juan Carlos Amoros, Gotham has learned how to balance player availability late in the year. That meant signing 33-year-old Spain left-back Leila Ouahabi in mid-October from Chicago, with the left-back’s arrival a critical boost.The team was also patient in bringing back midfielders Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw, who returned last week after missing several weeks with injury. It paid off, with Shaw scoring minutes into her return. This skill will be critical as Gotham faces questions around midfielder Jaelin Howell, arguably the team’s most valuable player, who suffered a right ankle injury against Utah and was in a recovery boot after the final whistle.Seattle kept Orlando to zero shots on goal in their last game. The Reign are led by retiring NWSL legend 39-year-old Fishlock, who is guiding a new generation of players, including 20-year-olds Jordan Bugg and Emeri Adames and 19-year-old Ainsley McCammon. Fishlock enters her eighth post-season.Will Seattle spoil Gotham’s historic season in the first round, in the same way Gotham spoiled the top seeds they played against in their championship runs in 2023 and 2025? Both times, Gotham entered the post-season in that final playoff spot, like Seattle has done this year. If there was ever a match to watch for major upset potential, this one is it.– Melanie AnzideiWashington Spirit (No. 3) v Portland Thorns (No. 6)The final quarterfinal of the weekend has one of the easiest headlines for the NWSL: Espresso shot vs. espresso shot, with Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson both capable of putting their teams on their backs and through to the semifinal.For the Spirit, the focus may be more on who won’t be on the field. Midfielder Hal Hershefelt, who tore her ACL last month, has been the engine in the midfield this season — but the Spirit have succeeded in previous postseasons even while carrying multiple injuries. This year, they have Rodman after her best regular season (12 goals, 8 assists), plus midfielder Andi Sullivan, forward Ashley Hatch and outside back Casey Krueger all back on the active roster after having kids. That veteran experience, plus a dose of the Rowdy Audi magic, could help them reach another semifinal.For the Thorns, two clean sheets in a row to end the season (against the North Carolina Courage and the Houston Dash) were a welcome sight after some defensive issues. Leading scorer Wilson added to her tally (nine) against Houston following a two-game suspension for hair pulling, but if Pietra Tordin can start cooking again and providing the final pass after going quiet for the past couple of months, it would be a major boost for the Thorns.As spicy as KC vs. Angel City is, the Spirit-Thorns quarterfinal resists an easy prediction. Both teams have struggled with consistency, but that goes out the window as a necessary ingredient for postseason success. It’s not hard to imagine that this one could come down to a Rodman vs. Wilson showdown after all, and that a single goal could decide this game.– Meg LinehanOur bracket predictionsTamerra GriffinWinner: Angel CityAs a Californian, it’s deeply satisfying to watch two teams from the Golden State — San Diego and Angel City — peak at the right time. On recent form alone, both deserve tickets to the final. As for who will win, I could build PowerPoint slides supporting either side, but I’m leaning toward Angel City, who have the best goal differential in the league (+22).That said, they are the youngest team in the league, so let’s see how they manage the emotions and unique demands of knockout football. But when Jonsdottir, Evelyn Shores and Gisele Thompson are clicking, they’re unstoppable.Melanie AnzideiWinner: GothamWatching Gotham win the NWSL Shield has renewed my faith in this team heading into the playoffs. I had my doubts heading into the postseason: I thought San Diego would come from behind to win the Shield, but Gotham didn’t let up.Similarly, the Spirit should find a way to pull through despite the odds seemingly stacked against them. The team’s home record has not been the best (seventh in NWSL, 8-6-1), but playing at Audi Field, with everything on the line, will fuel them through these next games. Call it redemption. It won’t be easy against Portland, the grand quarterfinal finale on Sunday.Spirit and Gotham meeting in the final would be historic because we all know the teams have unfinished business – especially at Rowdy Audi.Meg LinehanWinner: WaveI’m picking entirely on vibes, not going to lie, also because this league continues to resist prediction. A So-Cal showdown on the East Coast for the Championship makes no sense and also somehow, the most sense.Asli PelitWinner: SpiritI have been constantly wrong with my playoff predictions. Not occasionally wrong. Spectacularly wrong.In my defense, predicting the NWSL playoffs is like trying to predict the weather forecast in New York in the summer. The league thrives in chaos and what happens throughout the season means nothing. Favorites collapse, underdogs become contenders — and just when you think you figured it out, a 10-minute stoppage-time winner ruins your entire bracket.But here I go again.Utah has the grit to beat the Wave. If that happens, they will make it to the semifinals and face Washington. Gotham will take on Kansas. However, the Current has the attacking power to beat the Bats.Given my track record, congratulations in advance to Gotham, which I eliminated, again.Bold playoff predictionsA long-range Sentnor goal against her former club at CPKC Stadium would probably singe my eyebrows off, but it’s a moment I’m willing to risk manifesting in the name of NWSL chaos. — GriffinA vintage Midge Purce playoff run. She unlocks in the postseason in a way that is so fun to watch. Maybe another championship MVP trophy is in the books for her. – AnzideiGotham vs. Angel City semifinal is needed for the NWSL culture: We gotta get the NYC-LA rivalry started for real. – LinehanKansas City Current in the final. Although I would not mind that East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry Meg mentioned. – Pelit This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Portland Thorns, Seattle Reign, Gotham FC, Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit, Angel City, San Diego Wave, Utah Royals FC, Soccer, NWSL, Women's Soccer2026 The Athletic Media Company