The 2026 NWSL regular season went with a bang, with several results shaking up the table on a busy Decision Day. Gotham FC won its first Shield with a 2-0 win over the Utah Royals, while a 1-0 victory over the Orlando Pride was enough to help the Seattle Reign clinch a playoff spot.
Both the NWSL Shield and the final playoff slot came down to the final day of play, with Gotham hoping to edge out the second-place San Diego Wave and the Reign hoping to lock up a return to the postseason. The league entered Sunday with seven of the eight playoff spots already filled, but with plenty of ways that things could shake out.
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It didn’t take long for Gotham to pull ahead against the Utah Royals, as Guro Reiten found the back of the net in the ninth minute of play. Jaedyn Shaw then sealed their chances with another goal in the 80th minute.
Gotham, who has won two of the past three NWSL Championships, will now add its first NWSL Shield to the trophy case. The team finishes with 61 points and a 18W-7D-5L record.
Down in the middle of the table, the eighth and final postseason slot came down to three teams: The Reign, the North Carolina Courage and the Denver Summit. With the Courage and the Summit playing against each other to end the year, Seattle needed to win-and-in on Decision Day to keep their season going.
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Despite dominating the game, the Reign couldn’t find the back of the net until the 68th minute, when Seattle defender Jordyn Bugg hit a beautiful strike that barreled past Pride keeper Cosette Morché. The Reign immediately celebrated, knowing that it could likely be enough to clinch.
Extending the season took on extra weight in Seattle, as Sunday was the final home match for club legend Jess Fishlock, who will be retiring after this year. (Seattle, as the eighth-seeded postseason team, will not host a playoff game.)
Moments after the Reign officially won, North Carolina finally broke the stalemate with Denver thanks to an own goal from Kaleigh Kurtz — but it was too late for the Courage, who fall just one spot short of the playoffs. North Carolina forward and 2026 Golden Boot winner Ashley Sanchez, who tied the NWSL single-season record for goals with 20, was forced to see her MVP-caliber season come to an unexpectedly early end.
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Meanwhile, the rest of the eight-game slate had significant implications. The Washington Spirit and Kansas City Current picked up key wins to secure home-field advantage for the quarterfinals. Angel City FC jumped the crowded middle of the table with a dominant 4-1 win over the Boston Legacy.
NWSL 2026 playoff seeding:
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Gotham FC — 61 points, 18W-7D-5L
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San Diego Wave FC — 58 points, 18W-4D-8L
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Washington Spirit — 55 points, 17W-4D-9L
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Kansas City Current — 53 points, 16W-5D-9L
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Angel City FC — 52 points, 15W-7D-8L
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Portland Thorns FC — 50 points, 14W-8D-8L
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Utah Royals FC — 47 points, 14W-5D-11L
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Seattle Reign FC — 47 points, 14W-5D-11L
Quarterfinal matchups
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No. 1 Gotham vs. No. 8 Reign
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No. 2 Wave vs. No. 7 Royals
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No. 3 Spirit vs. No. 6 Thorns
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No. 4 Current vs. No. 5 Angel City
