NWSL Expanding to Boston
NWSL Expanding to Boston
It will be a long wait until 2026, but professional women's soccer is back in Beantown!
Women’s soccer is coming back to the city of Boston! The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) awarded an expansion club to an all-woman led ownership group, which will reportedly kickoff in 2026.
The ownership group of Ami Kuan Danoff, Stephanie Connaughton, Jennifer Epstein, and Anna Palmer will spend a reported $53 million to the league for expansion right and expected to match that figure to renovate White Stadium, build a separate training site, and cover operational costs according to The Boston Globe’s Michael Silverman.
“There’s a lot of attention on women’s sports right now, a global rise in fandom in not just women’s sports but in particular around women’s soccer. It’s a great moment in time. There’s a lot of momentum in the league,” Jennifer Epstein told The Globe.
“There’s just an excitement around soccer in the city that’s always been there and especially with the upcoming opportunities to host the [men’s] World Cup in 2026 [at Gillette Stadium] dovetailing with the timelines here, I think the impact of a professional women’s sports team will be huge,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said.
The announcement comes on the heels of a women’s sports renaissance within the city as the newly founded NWSL club joins the Boston Renegades and the Boston Pride.
An exciting opportunity for fans and those in the Boston area as Mayor Michelle Wu, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman, and the ownership group will convene at Boston City Hall tomorrow to celebrate the arrival of the city’s newest sports franchise.
The newly founded NWSL franchise marks the first time since 2018 that women’s soccer has been in the city. The Boston Breakers participated in numerous leagues from its foundation in 2001 until their expansion into the NWSL in 2012. The Breakers went on to play five seasons in the NWSL, where they failed to make playoffs all five years and finished last twice before ceasing operations in January 2018.